


The Taste of Your Heartbeat

by PencilSketchS



Category: Chinese Actor RPF, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF
Genre: Allusions to Vampire Sex, Alternate Universe - Vampire, BJYX Prompt Fest (The Untamed RPF), Biting, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Character Turned Into Vampire, Consensual Blood Drinking, During Filming of The Untamed (TV), Falling In Love, Human/Vampire Relationship, M/M, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Post Filming of The Untamed (TV), Switching if you squint, Tags Contain Spoilers, Threats of Violence, Vampire Li Bowen (minor mention), Vampire Turning, Vampire Xiao Zhan, Vampire Yu Bin (minor mention), Vampire/Vampire Relationship, Vampires are Know, Vampires in Society, Xiao Zhan is Whipped From the Start, Yibo Has No Sense Of Self Preservation, biting kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26010820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PencilSketchS/pseuds/PencilSketchS
Summary: “Not corruption, it’s just a change. Change itself isn’t inherently good or bad.” Yibo counters, then gives Xiao Zhan a heart attack with his next words. “I’ve never seen your fangs, you know. Will I really only be seeing them for the first time as Lan Wangji?”or: Xiao Zhan is whipped the moment he meets Yibo, and what is a vampire to do but whatever Yibo wants? Add some references to vampireAU!CQL and CQL cast and lots of vague references to plot and other things.
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan
Comments: 47
Kudos: 226
Collections: BJYX Prompt Fest 2020





	1. Please Excuse The Copious Amount of Gentle Exposition

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [sin_stories (from_those_fandoms)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/from_those_fandoms/pseuds/sin_stories) in the [bjyx_fest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjyx_fest) collection. 



> The prompt is a bit of a spoiler, apologies for leaving it out of the opening note. I probably wrote a bit more backstory that was strictly required, but I hope that you enjoy this regardless. This fic is complete, I am in the process of doing edits, but I'm posting part 1 as self motivation. Liberties have been taken with vampire lore - which should really always be expected of anyone writing vampire fic - and I've thrown in a lot more real life interviews and events than I should have because I have no event timeline and have in fact been relying on the endless twitter anniversaries for dates that events took place. I make no claims to know anything about Xiao Zhan or Wang Yibo or their preferences. I like to write them as open to any form of affection. I would genuinely appreciate some feedback. This is the longest fic I've written in years and I'd love comments.

# Part 1 

Please Excuse The Copious Amounts of Gentle Exposition

* * *

_Everything you need to know about vampires in 2018: A Helpful Guide_

  


_If like me you are new to the concept of vampires in mainstream media, and find yourself in need of some quick facts about what the current state of the world for relations between vampires and humans are, then this is the place to be to get yourself informed!_

_I’ve compiled a short list of the most basic facts, below._

  * _Vampires and society:_



_The world’s worst kept secret, namely the existence of vampires, was largely swept under the rug and ignored throughout history. It wasn’t until WWII that the clans stepped forward to assist in protecting their territories._

  * _Vampires and Science_



_A surprising addition to the world of medicine to come from the vampire community was of the first prototypes for haemoglobin blood replacers, which they had been in the process of developing for their own use, which proved beneficial in a battlefield environment. Many more products have been developed for various uses over the years in human medicine, but this initial research would eventually for the basis for the synth blood development which is the most widely accepted blood meal replacement mandated to date._

  * _Vampires and World Politics_



_In a bid to protect their communities, vampire clans have banded together to form an international treatise that lobbies for their rights and freedoms globally. This was mainly to prevent genocide and unethical medical experimentation and extremists. To this day certain parts of the globe are considered vampire free or vampire safezones._

  * _Vampire Hierarchy_



_Within their own societal structures vampires are of two main classes. Pure blood vampires, who are born vampires and mature into their “condition”. They are fully capable of reproduction amongst each other and with non vampire human beings. Then there are humans who are “turned”, referred to as fledglings. Making a fledgling is risky, and does not have a high success rate. The fledgling cannot regulate their aging like the purebloods, and are instead stuck at the age they were turned at. The fledgling is also sterile, their gametes no longer viable after the turn. Half bloods or more dilute blood relations to pure blood vampires often do not show signs of vampirism, with a few recorded rare exceptions…_  
  
---  
  
* * *

The casting calls were done and the roles of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in the groundbreaking human/vampire centred BL novel adaptation were decided. Reactions were mixed. The announcement that Wang Yibo would be playing the straight-faced Lan Wangji garnered some interest and intrigue. By contrast, when they cast pure-blood vampire celebrity Xiao Zhan to play Wei Wuxian, the fandom exploded.

To say that vampires looked down on human entertainment was putting it mildly. There was a long standing snobbery that had only recently started getting dispelled as the younger generation of vampires started making inroads into integration over exclusion into human society.

As the rules and laws improved to protect both vampires and humans from their mutual destruction of each other, so too the social ties between them strengthened.

Xiao Zhan was one of a handful of vampire elite that had stepped up to meet the challenge of integrating into non-vampire-focused entertainment. And Xiao Zhan was especially pleased that his first leading role would be this particular story.

While he’d thought he was in love with the characters and their struggles and their selflessness, meeting the young actor who would play his Lan Wangji had been a revelation.

At that time they were all undergoing training before principal photography started, to run through the script, practice etiquette, posture, instruments and fighting to look convincing on screen. His co-lead, Wang Yibo, had not been able to join them at first due to some schedule conflicts. They had just finished their first full morning of fighting exercises and were having a break when there was a commotion by the cafeteria door. Xiao Zhan looked over at his manager and his assistant to make sure it wasn’t anything he needed to be on alert over, when Wang Yibo walked in. Tall, blue haired, with a baseball cap jammed onto his head, he strode across the hall, stopping to bow and greet everyone he encountered as he was led inexorably closer towards an open mouthed Xiao Zhan.

Wang Yibo was captivating. Wang Yibo demanded the attention of the room. Anything he could think to demand Xiao Zhan would have no problem giving.

Wang Yibo stopped before Xiao Zhan, and he was not mistaken when he caught the other’s eyes flashing momentarily to red. Their introductions were otherwise perfunctory and polite, and then Yibo was falling down into a seat beside Xiao Zhan while someone went off to find him something to eat. He’d just flown in and they still had a long day ahead of them.

He sat there awkwardly for all of 5 seconds before Xiao Zhan broke the tense silence and flashed his teeth in a smile.

“Wang Laoshi, you truly are the embodiment of Lan Wangji, aren’t you. I have a feeling I’m going to have no trouble getting into character thanks to your presence.” Xiao Zhan said, eyes warm, body tilted slightly towards him. He looked playful?

Yibo wasn’t sure if he was being made fun of or not, but decided to take the statement at face value. This was his co-star, they should start getting along sooner rather than later if they wanted to pull off the chemistry they would need for their roles.

“If you mean we’re both quiet and serious, then I guess so. Though I doubt the upright Lan Wangji would have blue hair,” Yibo said back, even as he accepted his lunch from his assistant and immediately dug in. It was only as he was reaching over for a drink that he noticed Xiao Zhan had nothing but a cup of warm water in front of him. 

“You’re not eating?” He asked, before he could think, but then the realisation hit him, absurdly belated: Xiao Zhan was a vampire, his version of food was blood.

“A bold offer? Or do you forget I don’t consume solid, unrefined foods?” Xiao Zhan mused, even as his smile grew wider at the embarrassed twist of Yibo’s mouth. 

But just like that the subject was dropped, and any tension between them as well.

“I hardly eat enough for myself, let alone to feed you as well. What are you doing in a cafeteria in the first place if you can’t eat here?” Yibo shot back, nudging the abandoned cup of hot water between them.

“Mingling? Getting to know the cast and crew? Observing human rituals so I can fake it for the camera?” Xiao Zhan replied with a teasing smile.

“Hm,” Yibo acknowledges even as he side-eyes Xiao Zhan for that last point. Xiao Zhan just winked at him at that, then continued to rib his fellow actor gently while they ate and on into their months of filming.

Filming in the peak of summer dressed in layers and layers of hanfu and tight hot wigs has the majority of the human staff wilting off camera. They crowd under any hint of shade and remain fixed in front of any feeble aircon or rotating fan. Yibo isn’t entirely an exception, even if he is wearing mostly white.

Xiao Zhan, as one of the few vampires on set, is highly amused for the most part. He feels the sun and the heat, but his body isn’t susceptible to overheating. What does bother him though, as a vampire with sharper eyesight than any human, and being particularly attuned to nocturnal habits, is how bright and sharp the sun is.

He’d invested specifically in some dark contact lenses, to stop any unwanted eye colour changes on camera, but also to block some of the harsh summer UV rays, but he’s definitely not above hiding behind a pair of sunglasses, large and polarized, and carefully positioned so as not to interfere with any of the hair or make-up magic that he’d been styled with. 

Watching Yibo squint against the sun while a make-up assistant gently blots sweat off his hairline is thus genuinely amusing that day as they prepare to shoot a short sword fight near a waterfall.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be allergic to this much sunlight, Xiao Laoshi?” Yibo says, from behind his narrowed eyes and pout at being laughed at so blatantly. 

“Oh, no, that’s only for the newest of fledglings,” Xiao Zhan really does laugh aloud this time. “Are you really so sheltered that you don’t even know the basics of vampire physiology, Lao-Wang?”Xiao Zhan dodges Yibo’s swat at his arm, but catches his wrist, fingers wrapping around layers of fabric, making no skin contact by design. He can still make out the flutter of Yibo’s pulse to match the cadence of his heartbeat that suddenly sounds all the louder in his ears.

“Hm, no, it wasn’t really a standard part of my pre-idol or post-idol education.” He pulls at his arm to free it and Xiao Zhan releases him without fuss.

“You’re full of questions though, Wang Yibo.” Xiao Zhan notes.

“Hm, it’s the first project I’m working so closely with actual vampires. You all don’t usually do the acting, singing, dancing thing.”

“Are you calling us snobs, Lao-Wang.”

“I didn’t say that, but it does seem that way, Lao-Xiao,” Yibo’s smile was somewhat self deprecating, reducing any sting of insult the words could have held. “But it works out well for me, because how could I ever stand a chance if every idol was as good looking as Xiao-laoshi and his ilk.”

“Ah, now you’re joking! You should only take empty flattery so far, unless you’re provoking me into complimenting you right back, Wang Yibo. This kid,” Xiao Zhan mutters the last to no one in particular, the crew are all ignoring their antics as usual.

And then it’s time for them to get primped and prodded and get in place to exchange some sword play for the camera.

The following weeks of filming follow a very similar pattern, Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan exchanging banter, acting out scenes, entertaining the behind the scenes cameras, hiding from the bright sun and heat. If Yibo brings up Xiao Zhan’s vampirism they usually don’t linger on the topic too much, and Xiao Zhan does not seem to mind. 

It had been decided that for all the scenes before Wei Wuxian lost his core, where he needed to fly or do any special acrobatics, that he would use the wire rigs set up for his human counterparts on set. That way the style of movement would match better. But once he’s been dropped into the burial mounds and re-emerges, unbeknownst to all as a supernatural creature, then Xiao Zhan would use his own enhanced physical abilities to leap into the air or jump from roof tops to land lightly below. The contract and stunt insurance for that had been an interesting experience to work through.

They’re on the Qinghe set, setting up for Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s confrontation in the courtyard. Yibo was being set up in wires while Xiao Zhan stood ready to fight off his sword with his flute.

“Should we go over it first in real time? The blade will be pretty near your neck,” Yibo asked, a furrow between his brows. “I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, Zhan-ge.”

Xiao Zhan looked up, amused, but oddly touched at the concern. “Oh, you won’t hurt me, Yibo, I have good reflexes. I’m just glad I don’t have to get strapped to that contraption any more.”

“I’ve never actually seen what you can do, ge,” Yibo nodded his thanks as the crew member who had finished hooking him up stepped back and away, “But I guess you’ll be giving me a demonstration soon anyway.”

“Oh, Yubin is definitely more of a show off, he’s been looking forward to dangling upside down since he read the script. It’s too bad Lee Laoshi didn’t get more than just that one scene between Lan Yi and Baoshan Sanren, she’s extremely graceful, even for one of us.”

Just then the director calls for everyone to get into position.

“Come at me, Lan Zhan, we’ve fought as equals before, and Lan Wangji wants to test his Wei Ying’s new cultivation a bit. I’ll be sure to dodge, so give it your best!” Xiao Zhan calls out in challenge and encouragement. 

And so Yibo doesn’t hold back. The entire experience is exhilarating for both of them as they repeat the maneuvers a few times for different cuts and angles, and the sound of Yibo’s heartbeat is singing in Xiao Zhan’s ears by the end of it.

Xiao Zhan thinks it’s kind of shameful the way he’s attuned to the sound of Yibo’s heartbeat on set. He knows when Yibo enters a room by the unique cadence and quality of the sound of his heart beating, and Yu Bin often catches Xiao Zhan’s eyes to laugh at him from afar when Yibo’s arrival causes him to stumble to a halt or fumble a conversation with one of his other co-actors or crew.

Yibo also comes back from filming his other obligations with bruises on his knees that Xiao Zhan can smell, and once with a scrape that had drawn blood from a slide on the stage during a dance. Xiao Zhan positions himself between Yibo and any vampire on set until the taste of blood is no longer hovering just out of reach on his tongue.

He requests his assistant, Zhang Jing, to organise a donor for him on his next free day because the synthetic blood and preserved blood packs just aren’t enough to quell his sudden and inappropriately focused bloodlust.

  
  
They’re on a boat after each being absent from set for 2 days because of other filming obligations. Yibo is hiding from the sun, Xiao Zhan graciously joins him. Yibo also has new bruises on his knees and it’s driving Xiao Zhan mad.

“You should wear knee pads. You always come back injured, Lao-Wang.”

Which is of course the wrong thing to say because it sets off a whole argument and compliment battle, and Yibo doesn’t take him seriously at all. Xiao Zhan regrets all his life’s choices in getting so immersed in human life… okay, no, that’s a lie. He’s actually quite passionate about vampires getting their heads out of their asses and properly integrating into human society. There were so many isolated enclaves, so much misinformation and archaic doctrine, so much fledgling suppression still in this day and age of information overload and technological miracles like synth-blood. 

But trying to fight his attraction to Wang Yibo and the growing urge for just a taste of him was nearly enough to send Xiao Zhan packing back to his clan to lick his wounds in peace.

“How much of it is fact, and how much fiction?” Yibo asks apropos of nothing some minutes after their last play fight ended and the cameraman left them be.

“Regarding? The script?” Xiao Zhan ventures a guess.

“Hm, the events before we all end up at Lotus Pier. Obviously there’s the demonic cultivation being used, but Wen Ning was turned by Wei Wuxian after he died. Would a vampire be able to rouse an undead army if he was strong enough. Or could you resurrect someone freshly dead?” Yibo had resumed fiddling with the tassel on his Bichen prop as he asked this, seemingly quite serious.

“Ah? How would that be possible. I’m not dead, you know, Wang Yibo, my biological needs are just different. But that aside, no, it’s not possible to raise an undead army or bring the dead back to life. Obviously, artistic liberties were taken with the script but there would definitely still have to be a pulse in the person being turned. Turning requires that the vampire feed their intended fledgling their blood, which then invades the fledgling's body and organs. It changes you on a genetic level. Lao-Wang,” Xiao Zhan draws out Yibo’s name in a half put upon tantrum, “do you really want the whole story? It’s so much science.”

“It’s interesting the way you explain it.” Wang Yibo says with a gremlin grin. 

“What is accurate, though, is that it doesn’t always take. Like when Xua Yang and Jin Guanyao try to change Nie Mingjue. His body rejected the blood, like an infection.” Xiao Zhan says, feeling suddenly less playful and light.

“And the rest of it? Could they really keep Wei Wuxian alive and functionally brain-dead like they did Wen Ning and Song Lan? That seems rather nightmarish.” Wang Yibo actually does shiver as if the idea gave him chills.

“We vampires can take a lot of damage, and we can live a lot longer than an average human, but I don’t think the brain is that elastic. There’s a certain amount of trauma no brain could heal from. Artistic liberties again.” What he doesn’t say is that there are ways to subdue a vampire near permanently for prolonged periods. But that’s something he prefers not to think about, and that vampires tend not to advertise.

They stick to lighter conversational fare after that and before long crew members call for everyone to get into position for their next set of scenes.

It’s as they’re getting closer to the end of their filming schedule, one evening when the filming had been rained out, that Xiao Zhan finally admits to himself that he’d regret leaving things like this.

Him and Yibo had gotten into the habit of talking through the upcoming scenes over a shared dinner. Oftentimes it would be very late at night, on any spare evening they were both on set and done with their own scenes. Yibo ordered himself a meal and Xiao Zhan drank a warm, scentless blood substitute from a thermos. Neither watched the other too closely during these meals, and eventually they stopped feeling awkward about it at all.

They’re running through their lines for the last confrontation at Nevernight. It’s the emotional climax before Wei Wuxian’s apparent suicide. Lan Zhan shows up and tries to tell Wei Wuxian that he found A-Yuan, that he needs to de-escalate the confrontation with the clans.

“To tell the truth, I’m not even sure what Lan Zhan thought he could achieve here? It’s not like the other cultivators would just let Wei Wuxian waltz off and leave him be.” Wang Yibo mused over cold noodles.

“Hm, but it may have given Wei Wuxian something to hold on for. He thought his whole new family was dead.”

“And it’s not like he could just go back to his old family, huh?”

“No, not after Jin Zixuan was killed.” Xiao Zhan’s heart really ached for Wei Wuxian and even Yibo’s brow was furrowed into even more of a scowl than usual.

“This is the first time Lan Wangji sees Wei Ying’s fangs, but he doesn’t understand.” Yibo says, his chopsticks hovering still over his bowl.

“Hm, anybody would be shocked. Lan Zhan doesn’t expect to see such a physical manifestation of ‘corruption’ on Wei Ying.” Xiao Zhan muses, his blood meal now finished and, honestly, not very satisfying.

“Not corruption, it’s just a change. Change itself isn’t inherently good or bad.” Yibo counters, then gives Xiao Zhan a heart attack with his next words. “I’ve never seen your fangs, you know. Will I really only be seeing them for the first time as Lan Wangji?”

“Wang Yibo!” Xiao Zhan smacks him across the table, his other hand clutched at his chest where he really feels like he’s having a heart attack. “Fangs are kind of private!”

“What? Like, sex private?”

“Yes! No! But you definitely don’t just go around asking to see someone fangs! Have some mercy, Lao-Wang!”

“But you’re going to show them to everyone for the shoot tomorrow! How is showing me any different? Have we been planning to shoot the equivalent of vampire porn tomorrow?” Yibo pressed, looking and sounding exasperated.

“Ah, Yibo, it would only be porn if they included that scene where Wei Wuxian bites Lan Zhan, and that’s not happening.” Xiao Zhan throws his head back and releases his breath all at once. “I should have seen this coming. You take every opportunity to try to kill me with your words!”

“Xiao Zhan,” Yibo whines, “Must Lan Wangji really steal this moment from me? Will you really ask me to wait?”

“Do you even know what you’re asking me, Yibo.” He gestures around at their surroundings. Alone and comfortable. Alone.

Xiao Zhan’s ears pick up the increased pace of Yibo’s heartbeat. It’s subtle, unconscious. He’s probably only starting to realise all the implications of asking.

“It’s mostly a reflex when we’re about to feed, or as a show of aggression. I’m not sure you’d want either of those hungers directed right at you, Wang Yibo.”

“What, you think I can’t handle you looking at me aggressively or like I’m a chocolate bar?” Yibo sputters, consciously choosing to have no shame and feel no embarrassment. “Just because you flash your fangs doesn’t mean you have to have a meal or a fight right after. Tomorrow is proof!”

“Tomorrow is on set, as a reaction to the emotions I’m portraying. Like crying and feeling Wei Wuxian’s pain. What you’re asking now is effectively for me to be blue balled because you’re curious.” Xiao Zhan explains, exasperated but already half convinced to show Yibo anyway. 

He’s gotten uncomfortably whipped in a ridiculously short period of time.

“So you’re saying,” Yibo latches on, throwing all caution and reason to the wind, “is that if I want to see your fangs I have to offer you a meal, Zhan-ge? Fine then! Have at it, go ahead.”

Xiao Zhan bares his teeth at Yibo with a hiss, no fangs in sight just yet though, “Wang Yibo. Don’t even joke. I’ll really get mad.”

“But I’m not joking. What, you think I’ll taste bad?”

“Ah, Yibo, you’re killing me!” Xiao Zhan gives up and throws his face into his hands in despair. 

“Zhan-ge?” Yibo reaches over the table to pull his hands away from his face. “Is it really so bad? Do you really not like it? Have I said something really offensive?”

“You really don’t know, do you? I’ll give you one chance, Yibo,” And with this Xiao Zhan stands, hands up and out, backing up to sit on the low couch away from the table. “You can come here, and I’ll take you up on your offer, and you’ll see my fangs. Or you can head back to your room, and see my fangs when I’m being Wei Wuxian in turmoil. Just don’t tell me I didn’t try to warn you.” 

Yibo was striding across the room towards Xiao Zhan before he even finished.

“You suck at warnings, Xiao Zhan,” he said, then dropped down on the couch to look at Xiao Zhan expectantly.

Xiao Zhan had to suppress a giggle at Yibo’s choice of words, “Oh, yeah, I suck alright,” He all but sighed with one last look at the ceiling. Where would he find the strength?

But at the same time, he couldn’t really pass up this opportunity, could he? He honestly didn’t want to. And it wouldn’t harm Yibo, though he might be surprised by the experience.

“Does it hurt, ge?” Yibo askes into the sudden silence and Xiao Zhan nearly dies again, instead groaning into his fist before looking up to meet Yibo’s eyes.

“No more words from you! That’s an order! Does it hurt!? I deserve a medal for the amount of restraint I’m showing you, Yibo. Now, come here,” and then he can’t talk comfortably without a lisp as he pulls Yibo forward and into a kiss. 

It’s a short peck, and Yibo makes a surprised sound, but it works as the distraction it was meant to be as Xiao Zhan leans down and sinks his fangs into the firm, supple flesh of Yibo’s neck.

Yibo’s body jerks in his arms, hips jumping off the couch, a hoarse shout ripped from his throat as Xiao Zhan gives one long, strong pull at his vein, the pressure feeling endless and unending, his senses narrowing down onto the overwhelming taste of Yibo on his tongue. But he pulls off before it can intensify any further, pressing his tongue on the puncture wounds, firm, hot, long swipes till he feels the flesh knit closed beneath his tongue.

Then he sits back, and grins at Yibo, fangs on full display, his hands once more kept to himself as Yibo sits all but vibrating on the couch beside him.

Yibo’s pupils are blown wide open, and his shorts are definitely looking a little tighter than they were before, and he’s got a flush high on his checks, and his mouth is just hung open as all he can do is breath.

Xiao Zhan is pretty sure he’s gotten an eye full of his fangs, and he runs his tongue over his teeth even as he feels them retract, then levers himself off the couch to give Yibo some space as he walks towards the door to usher his guest out.

“Be careful what you ask for, Wang-laoshi. I think that’s enough script reading for tonight. I’ll see you on set tomorrow.

The next morning finds Yibo rushing over first thing to sock Xiao Zhan in the arm, declaring him a cheating cheat while Xiao Zhan laughs at his expense.

“Ge! You could have held back! Shame on you!”

The subject of security comes up fairly regularly when filming on set. As a vampire, and a pure blooded one at that, Xiao Zhan enjoys a certain amount of passive protection thanks to his status amoungst the other vampires in their general surrounds. His clan is fairly powerful, and he’s quite capable of looking after himself. As such, he’d given very little thought to employing any sort of security detail in his personal staff. He has his manager and his vampire assistant, a young fledgling from his clan that his parents insisted upon, and that’s pretty much it. He hadn’t really interacted with Zhang Jing before, but she seemed pleasant enough.

It’s been just a few short years since he decided to enter the entertainment industry, and though he’d had a rocky start with his human audience, and received some backlash from the vampire community, his human fan contingent had grown large and vocal in recent times.

The first he notices the shift is while they’re still filming The Untamed. The casting had garnered attention, and interest only seemed to grow the more fans found out about the production. Him and Wang Yibo had a few promotional interviews they had to do, both with the cast and with each other. They’d gotten into the rather embarrassing habit of turning every Q&A session into a battle of competitive compliments on each other. It was such an obvious flirt he wondered how Yibo was managing to keep a straight face in front of the cameras. He’d even had a guest spot on Produce 101 where he’d had to pretend he didn’t know Yibo, strangely enough.

It was easy to forget while they were ensconced in Hengdian studios, shuttling back and forth between their accomodation and the set, practicing dances for on set, that there were vigilant eyes eager to catch a glimpse of them.

Airport runs have never been so fraught. Getting in and out of hotels have never been so arduous. Xiao Zhan spots the hidden photographers because they can’t hide from him. Yibo generously arranges for another personnel member from his own bodyguard’s agency to accompany Xiao Zhan when they have to make any public appearances. Xiao Zhan can fight off a vampire attacker, but he cannot cause a political incident by harming a human, either in self defence, or from overzealous fans ready to bare their veins.

The first time he really acknowledges that perhaps he should invest in some extra security is as he’s looking through his fan mail on a plane back to set, when instead of a fan letter he pulls out a familiar banner of Daytoy with black marker scrawled over top, the words “human plaything” staring back at him.

Xiao Zhan’s had been fairly open minded about how he was raised and for the first 13 years of his life he had attended human schools. It wasn’t until he hit puberty and came into his first vampire traits (advanced hearing and sight, a gradual aversion to regular food, enhanced speed and strength) that they’d transferred him to a smaller, exclusively vampire school.

He’d had neighbours and family like him, but it was almost a culture shock to be surrounded by so many other young vampires all at once. That and the curriculum was almost entirely different. Amongst all of his new classmates he was definitely a rarity, having been educated in the outside world up until this point. It garnered him a lot of attention. Some curious, most not so favourable. It was nothing that a little time and disinterest didn’t dispel.

It was around about this time that he really grew into his taste for blood. He’d still been trying to hold on to his old friendships, but the idea his old friends might rouse a feeding urge in him was oddly shameful to him. He made new friends at his new school and let old friendships from his almost human life fall to the wayside.

It wasn’t until he decided to continue his studies at a human university that he really immersed himself in human culture again, and the experience had been truly eye opening. He wasn’t a hormonal, perpetually hungry teenage vampire anymore, he integrated just fine into human society, and he wasn’t the first vampire to have done so by a long shot.

Instead, what was baffling was the vehement criticism he’d get from his fellow vampires. How puritanical and superior some of his peers and their circles could get.

He wasn’t a stranger to this strange racism against humans, or against being a target of ridicule by his ignorant acquaintances. This wasn’t his first time being harassed since he’d joined the human entertainment industry. He’d been accused of having an unfair advantage, of bewitching his audience, and also of betraying his own kind to slum it with the humans. But for all their misplaced vitriol these criticisms had all been fairly out in the open. 

Sneaking in hate in the guise of fanmail, having to get close enough to hand it to him without him realising there was any underlying threat, was the most insidious act of hate he had thus far experienced in his adult life.

Zhang Jing was on the phone with his manager before they even reached the baggage carousel.

Li Bowen and Yu Bin lingered after the meeting with their managers and the production heads and security advisors, both frowning and looking slightly on edge. As the only recurring vampire cast members they’d quickly formed a tight unit during their pre-production training. Their fight as Wen Ning and Song Lan in Yi City was in fact an industry first, true vampires doing real time stunt fighting for a production, and everyone was rather excited about it.

Right now though, no one looked excited. They looked drawn and worried. They may not have known each other before this, but they’d found a camaraderie on set. That was true for their human counterparts as well.

It was Yu Bin in fact that had brought up what everyone had been thinking.

“If this is a vampire making their displeasure known, they might not stop by just threatening Xiao Zhan or even Li Bowen or myself. What if they target the humans. You should consider getting Yibo some clan security.”

“As the co-lead, I think it’s reasonable to assume he’ll get the same flavour of harassment sooner or later.” Xiao Zhan’s manager added, and it caused a roiling, uneasy feeling to come to life under his skin. “It might not seem like much now, but if this does escalate, we had better be prepared to subdue any potential threats.

Xiao Zhan left that meeting feeling worried and on edge. The moon was already high in the sky and it was so late it was almost early. A need to do something, anything, thrummed under his skin and Yu Bin’s words echoed in his ears.

He was so distracted by his thoughts and his worries that is wasn’t until he’d nearly closed his hotel room door behind him, having just reached his room, that he heard the neighbouring door open, and then Yibo was there, pushing is way into Xiao Zhan’s face, his brows furrowed into a frown, smelling of travel sweat and worry.

“Zhan-ge, are you alright? I heard something happened.” Yibo reached out to grab a hold of his arm, as if to assure himself Xiao Zhan was there, and unharmed. “What happened.”

“You just got back. It’s so late. We can talk in the morning. I’m glad you got back safe too, Yibo, welcome back.” Xiao Zhan raised a hand to press it over the one Yibo had on his arm. Seeing Yibo settled the anxiety in his chest, but it’s absence left only a bone weary tiredness behind. 

“I should have changed my flight and flown in with you. We were literally just on set together and you were fine.” Yibo said, mostly to himself at this point.

It felt like weeks and weeks ago, but it had only been the beginning of last week that he had been right here in Xiao Zhan’s room, asking him to show him his fangs, and subsequently having his mind blown. They’d just had a very fun experience on Produce 101 together, where Yibo had been able to share a stage with his co-star, clandestine though that stage meeting turned out to be. Whatever nerves he might have had about putting on an idol performance, so unlike his acting of Lan Wangji, in front of Xiao Zhan had been quickly laid to rest as he caught glimpses of Xiao Zhan’s fond smiles while he did cutesy dance demonstrations for the audience. Xiao Zhan even managed to not do too badly with his own dance performance. How he managed to be both adorable and determinedly reliable was beyond Yibo. 

Xiao Zhan led him further into the room and closed the door behind them before falling into the nearest couch with a groan.

“Of course we can’t go around sharing flights, Yibo,” for now, there were literal government mandated restrictions against it, whether Yibo knew that or not. “Sit down, stop brooding over there.”

Yibo sighed, but accepted the invitation and sat down as well, “You don’t look injured, you seem the regular kind of tired, not in shock or anything. I guess you’re actually okay then,” Yibo assessed, though he did lean over just a bit to squint into Xiao Zhan’s face a little. “You are looking a bit grey though. Are you coming down with something?”

“You are such a worrywart. Why did I not know this about you, Lao-Wang?” Xiao Zhan groaned, hiding his face behind his hands and all but kicking his feet in a sulk. “I just haven’t fed in a while. Some rest and a good breakfast will sort everything out.” He wanted to quiz Yibo on whether he was okay, on whether he had received any threatening letters or disguised gifts, but he forced the urge down. There’d be enough time for that in the morning. He forced the urge down, there was no reason to dwell on such distasteful topics this late at night. Besides, they didn’t have much longer of filming left, so any attention the production was currently garnering should calm down soon hopefully, detering any further dissatisfaction as well.

Xiao Zhan had failed to note the absolute quiet from his co-star, and he really should have been paying more attention because all of a sudden he had a very close up view of Yibo’s face as the younger man pulled his hands from his face.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about something, ge.” Yibo said, giving Xiao Zhan a cluster of heart attacks. “Is getting bitten by a vampire always ast intense as last time?” Xiao Zhan felt like he was going to stroke out. “Well, I guess you don’t get bitten, but is it just as intense for you?” Definitely a stroke. “Also,” Yibo’s eyes dropped down to Xiao Zhan’s mouth, then lower to the mole just below his lip, “you kissed me last time, you never said what that was all about.”

“Huh?” Xiao Zhan could surely have come up with a more intelligent response than that, but it didn’t seem possible with one Wang Yibo leaning over him on the couch, eyes dark, body radiating heat. The sound of his heartbeat crashing over Xiao Zhan even as the memory of that taste of him rushed back into the forefront of his mind.

“I wouldn’t mind if we did that again, you know.” Yibo added.

“What? The kiss or the bite?” His vision would surely cut out because Wang Yibo had just killed him with his words alone.

Yibo grinned that gremlin grin just then, eyes finally looking up to meet Xiao Zhan’s.

“Both, obviously.”

Xiao Zhan wanted to ask since when had that been obvious. He wanted to say anything sensible, really, but he had a beautiful and eager young man leaning ever closer over him, this particular young man being one it was becoming increasingly hard to refuse.

If this was a drama, now would definitely be the part where he caved and ravished the beautiful young man that had basically thrown himself into his lap and onto his mercy! Which in itself was a segway into a dirty joke that was too far below him to contemplate.

His flabbergasted silence, nothing more than a slight hesitation, must have lasted too long, because suddenly Yibo was pulling back, eyebrows lost under the fall of his hair over his forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’re really being shy right now, Xiao Zhan? I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t seeing it for myself. Surely a 91-liner can’t be this shy, right?” Yibo asked incredulously amused with what looked suspiciously like fondness all over his face.

“You’re the one that just sprang a proposition on me! Not all of us are so shameless!” Xiao Zhan automatically defended, their banter an ingrained reflex at this stage. “I’m not shy, I’m just decent!”

“You bite people on the neck causing a near orgasmic reaction, how is that decent?!” Yibo brushed off the implied insult of shamelessness to point out Xiao Zhan’s even more shameless actions of the previous week.

“That’s not-! That’s not the point! I was proving a point, you had no complaints last time, Wang Yibo!”

“Who says I’m complaining now? Quite the opposite, actually, I just asked you to do it again, remember?”

Give him an opening and Xiao Zhan was sure Yibo would slide up off the couch and into his lap. He didn’t know whether he was still exhausted from early, more famished than usual, or just all around hungry for one Wang Yibo.

“As much as I’d probably enjoy taking you up on your offer, Yibo, we still have some strenuous days of filming ahead of us, and I can’t just bite whoever whenever.”

“I’m not whoever, and you bit me last time without worrying about filming.”

“That was hardly a sip.”

“Then have a larger sip and show enough restraint that I’ll be fine in the morning, ge.”

“You talk about restraint as if you’re showing any at the moment! Who taught you to talk this way?”

“You have no idea how much and how long I’ve been restraining myself.” And with this Yibo got still and serious and met Xiao Zhan’s eyes and refused to look away as he reached forward and cupped Xiao Zhan’s jaw with one huge hand, brushing just below his lip, over Xiao Zhan’s mole, with his thumb. “If you really just don’t want to, that’s okay, ge. Just say the word, and I’ll back down, I won’t bring it up again.”

Oh, that was too far to the other end of what he wanted. If he was going to be honest, he really wanted to take Yibo up on his offer.

“We’re coworkers. I don’t want this to get too weird for us to handle. Is this just a curiosity thing for you, Yibo?” One of them had to ask the hard questions before they went any further.

“I can’t say I haven’t been fascinated by you, and curious about your vampirism, but I just like you, Zhan-ge. Isn’t that enough for now? We can just start from there, can’t we?” Yibo’s hand was now cupping the whole side of Xiao Zhan’s neck, a dangerous place to be touching a vampire without permission. His ridiculously large hand spans from jawbone to shoulder,, fingertips pushed into the short hairs behind Xiao Zhan’s head. It’s strangely settling.

“Okay,” and feeling more bold that he had any right to be, or just more eager than was good for him, Xiao Zhan leaned forward enough to brush a light kiss across Yibo’s mouth. “It goes without saying I like you too.”

He bit Yibo on the wrist this time from where Yibo had ended up half sprawled over him while they kissed. He doesn’t overwhelm Yibo with sensation this time, and draws soft and slow and shallow mouthfuls of blood. It’s all very tame and gentle and borderline virginal, but Yibo seems to be enjoying himself. It feels like he’s vibrating in response to the wash of good feelings Xiao Zhan’s bite is eliciting.

Too many bites too often can cause a craving for the effects of his saliva on the wound, for the chemical causing Yibo’s temporary euphoria. Xiao Zhan will have to explain all this carefully, but for tonight he’s carrying a sleepy, blissed out Yibo to his bed so they can get some rest, the taste of him lush and delicious in his mouth.

They’d shared two kisses and one not awkward morning later Xiao Zhan filled Yibo in on his fanmail situation. Yibo had looked appropriately subdued. This job didn’t come without it’s antis and stalkers, but a vampiric one was a first for Yibo. He’d also taken the news fairly well about limiting the amount of times Xiao Zhan would or could bite him. 

“Just don’t tell me I have to distance myself from you in public for my own safety,” Yibo stated decisively. “If you start living your life trying to preempt everyone’s reactions in this business then you might as well quit.”

If Xiao Zhan was expecting at least one more kiss then he was sorely mistaken, because after that Yibo had very calmly and quietly removed himself from Xiao Zhan’s room to get ready for their day on set. Xiao Zhan might have felt conflicted about that, but Yibo’s words from the previous night, and his insistence on remaining close on set and in public was enough to soothe any ruffled or conflicted feelings that Xiao Zhan could have had.

One caterpillar-chase and a birthday cheer later and it was Xiao Zhan unable to resist instigating their third kiss. Their first kiss had been for the shock factor, their second an exploration. But their third?

Yibo had made an aborted attempt to hand Xiao Zhan the first slice of the birthday cake they’d brought out on set before looking half mortified as he remembered Xiao Zhan couldn’t eat cake. Then he’d looked really pleased with the motorcycle helmet Xiao Zhan had picked out for him, mortification utterly forgotten, and there was no way Xiao Zhan was not pressing him up against the nearest secluded set-wall after, to absolutely devour his mouth, good and proper. He didn’t bite him that night.

One disastrous birthday live-stream later, and it was Yibo pulling him into his room and instigating their next kiss. Xiao Zhan let Yibo pull his head down into a kiss, let him back him into the room, let him tumble him onto the bed and fall in between Xiao Zhan’s legs. 

Sex as a vampire was a little different. But this wasn’t about sex, so Xiao Zhan didn’t let himself worry too much about that as Yibo took deep breathes, as Yibo kissed him long and hard and slow, as Yibo pulled back to be able to place soft, possessive kisses on all the small moles on Xiao Zhan’s face that was usually hidden under layers of make-up, as he let Yibo tilt his head up to brush his lips down Xiao Zhan’s neck.

Xiao Zhan was just about to ask him if he wanted to talk about it, had inhaled in preparation and parted his lips, Yibo’s name forming on his tongue when Yibo decided it was a good idea to bite him. Right across the jugular.

What escaped Xiao Zhan was a full-bodied, from the gut, loud and utterly involuntary moan. Yibo’s teeth dug in harder in response. His breath hitched like a sob before he could take his next full breath or muster the energy to protest.

Having realized he’d turned Xiao Zhan’s spine to jelly, Yibo seemed to decide it was a good idea to bite at Xiao Zhan’s neck again, exploiting a very clear weakness, and even as he shuddered under the younger man’s teeth Xiao Zhan had to re-evaluate his previous assumption. This was definitely about sex.

If what followed was them rutting against each other to completion while Yibo worried away at his neck, then Xiao Zhan shedding their clothes so he could sling one of Yibo’s legs over his shoulder as he bit into his inner thigh and caused Yibo to shoot into the stratosphere then it was an evening very well spent, one that ended with them both lazy and blissed out, sprawled naked on Yibo’s bed, asleep before they even noticed.

It was the last day of filming, and nothing else threatening had occurred. Xiao Zhan was tentatively relieved. Conversely, the atmosphere on set was one of quiet, brewing anticipation. Melancholy but celebratory as their last scenes were being shot. The final run throughs. Their final moments as these characters, the last of themselves to give to make this drama they had all grown to love with a crew that had become like a family.

Xiao Zhan had been strapped up to the suspension cables to filming his and Yibo’s scenes as young Wei Ying and Lan Zhan fighting at their first meeting, then he’d been allowed to flex his abilities a bit as he faced of against Lan Zhan at Nevernight, their final confrontation before things went horribly wrong for Wei Wuxian.

They had already shot the scenes where Wei Ying hung suspended over the cliff as Lan Zhan dripped blood down their joint hands. He’d already filmed the associated fang reveal scene where Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng were both startled by his altered appearance before he fell into a lava ravine? That reveal would continue to haunt the two and be a source of confounding theories for a while in secret. It definitely made the loss of his golden core reveal all the more impactful when they learnt just what he had become in order to survive the burial mounds for all those months.

They hadn’t filmed it, but the Phoenix Mountain kiss was definitely the inspiration behind Xiao Zhan scraping his fang over Yibo’s lip for a bloody kiss later before they both set off for their own separate flights to commitments unknown and apart.

For right now though Xiao Zhan caught Yibo after the director yelled cut on their last scene and Yibo’s eyes darkened at how effortlessly Xiao Zhan supported his weight as he lowered him to the ground from where he’d been suspended, helping him unclasp the harness before the crew could descend on them.

It wasn’t until they’d taken photos and received bouquets that any hint of unpleasantness surfaced again. Xiao Zhan was already in his car on the way to the airport when he dug the card out from between his flowers, but the message was the opposite of what he was expecting.

“Human thrall. How far the mighty have fallen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: EDIT: hi, I came back and edited out all the unneeded spacing. I hope this looks a little better to read? Also, I forgot to say thank you to my test readers, without whom I would not have had the confidence or drive to get these edits done and not just scrap the whole idea. You are amazing. Thank you so much.


	2. A Pervasive Feeling of Unease Ill Constructed

# Part 2 

A Pervasive Feeling of Unease Ill Constructed

* * *

_“There have been statements made in the news and in the media that because you are a vampire, you’re not even human. How do statements like this make you feel.”_

_“Well, obviously I’m hurt by them. If it was just said by one person I could overlook it, but the fact of the matter is, there are a large proportion of people that hold this sentiment about vampires in their hearts. Vampires need to feed off of other people in order to survive and therefore they must be something sinister, something less than, something not human. I’ve often heard the example of our increased speed and strength being proof that we are not human because no human is as strong or as fast. When I hear this though, I feel this is wrong.”_

_“Oh, how so? I’ve heard this same argument before, and I’d like to have a definitive argument against it!” The interviewer encouraged him seriously._

_“I bring up running a marathon. There are certain people who have trained hard and run marathons. Most people do not have the skill or strength or stamina to achieve this, yet they do not claim that the race participants are less than human. The natural argument to that of course can be that those runners have achieved the peak of what any normal human can achieve, whereas no human can train hard enough to surpass the natural strength and speed that a vampire can display. But to that I argue that just because a vampire is capable of incredible physical feats, that these come at an equally incredible price. While a runner can carb load and have a large hearty meal to prepare and maintain his body, a vampire literally burns through their reserves the more they exert themselves. We operate under extreme metabolic deficits with no way of easily replenishing the energy we have expanded because our diet consists of a precious, restricted food source. We may not age the same way non vampires do, but if we push ourselves hard enough for long enough it starts to take a toll on our bodies and we ultimately cannot keep up and so too can we die.”_  
  
---  
  
* * *

2018 draws to a close amidst other filming projects and commitments, with semi-regular messages from Yibo that he responds to as soon as he gets his hands on his phone between takes, which is usually a few hours later most days. He’s requested for one of his clan members to keep an eye on Yibo, just in case, but they haven’t seen each other in a while and it’s probably for the best. He does not want to lead trouble to Yibo’s door.

The one exception to this is when Xuan Lu and Yibo show up at his door on his birthday. Just three months ago they had all been together on set for Yibo’s birthday. Now they were all busy, and Xiao Zhan had in fact just finished up a performance with what was feeling like his old band. Their management seemed to be making the distance between themselves and their only vampire talent clear, even as the fans and his group mates wished him good health and prosperity. He was in a strange state of mind when he opened the door to two very familiar faces. His nerves settle into place at the familiar cadence and rhythm of Yibo’s heartbeat and scent and presence. They’d made a good evening of it, even if Xiao Zhan couldn’t eat any of the cake he cut up for them.

“What about your birthday noodles?” Yibo asked, but Xiao Zhan just shrugged and smiled and enjoyed their company. 

It would be a while before he would see Yibo in person again, and that distance would be punctuated by news that Xuan Lu had received an ominous note of her own after posting her birthday wish for Xiao Zhan. I was delivered to a changing room on sight of an advertisement shoot, somewhere teaming with people, far from her home. Everyone was on high alert for a while, and Xiao Zhan actively insisted on distance between himself and any of the cast at least until their official promotions started. 

He considered going home to see his parents, but ultimately settled on a phone call instead. He wanted to ask if anyone had been particularly vocal about his stardom recently that they knew of. But to be fair, there was not a huge outpouring of support from his clan or any of their adjacents. It came up like any other bit of conversation fodder at gatherings, but was otherwise unremarkable in its reception. Just another young vampire enjoying the frivolities of youth before they stepped up to their responsibilities to the clan. 

What happened with Xuan Lu though felt like it was directly linked to the notes Xiao Zhan had received, especially considering she’d just posted photos of them together. 

After speaking to his parents he checked in with Cheng Guo, the clan vampire he’d asked to keep an eye on Yibo. Yibo was in Changsha for his Day Day Up recordings, and Cheng Guo had nothing remarkable to report. He did not message Yibo like he was itching to do. Instead he warmed up some whole blood in a warm water bath and read over his scenes for filming the next day.

Xiao Zhan considered himself to be an inherently creative person. He enjoys creating something from nothing, or exploring and analysing others’ artistic creations and vision. He has an active imagination, boundless curiosity, a craving for searching out beauty.

As such he will admit that he can be dramatic, even if it’s mostly limited to the confines of his own thoughts and spaces.

The sigh that invariably escapes him everytime he cracks open a synth blood pack because he can still vividly remember how alive and vital and perfect Yibo had tasted on the three occasions he’d had the opportunity to taste him is one such moment.

His heart raced when he retrieved his phone after a meeting, a shoot, a day at the recording studios, to find a message notification. He saved every meme, opened every link and smiled at every message that Yibo sent him.

He wondered sometimes if aliens were real and had snuck into his room and replaced his brain with that of a hormonal teenager with a massive crush. But no teenager with a crush had to stop themselves from almost booking flights to sneak in a quickie. So far he was restraining himself, but if Yibo gave him even a hint of a come-on, Xiao Zhan would find a way to be there immediately.

His overactive imagination had its draw-backs too. He worried he’d sympathised and sunk too deep into Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian for all the social faux pas he might be committing had been a very free character in his early story, very unrestricted and unrestrained. He was open and energetic and daring and forward in a way that Xiao Zhan had never thought of himself to be. Yet he’d fallen into portraying those mannerisms so fully that it translated off set as well. He hardly recognised himself before the role as being the same person after it. 

Time and distance had eased the dissonance, but what if he lost touch somewhere along the way? What if the things that had been so appealing, and made him feel so approachable to Wang Yibo, had belonged more to Wei Wuxian than to Xiao Zhan himself. Unlike Wei Wuxian, Xiao Zhan was a worrier. Sometimes he worried so much he felt paralysed by it. Losing Yibo’s attention to disinterest or disillusionment seemed disproportionately devastating.

The irony of him avoiding starting any WeChat conversations these past few days did not escape him.

They hadn’t really talked about this thing going forward before they went their separate ways. Now they texted, occasionally they called. Soon they would be doing promotional work for the drama and Xiao Zhan was looking forward to that even as he worried how their reunion would go.

Being a vampire may set him apart from the majority of the human race, but it didn’t spare him the details. It didn’t spare him hard work. It didn’t spare him heartache. I didn’t even spare him his mortality. Or anyone else’s really.

Time after time, Yibo picked up their WeChat conversation, prompting Xiao Zhan into squabbles and anecdotes from his day on set. It felt like he was living in a sort of limbo.

When it came time for Chen Qing Ling to start airing it was like the entire cast was holding their breaths. They didn’t send very many messages about it to each other, and it became suspiciously quiet in the group chat around about the time the worst of the initial bad reviews came out, but then the Xuanyu cave scene rolled out and everyone was sold. 

“Lao-Wang, your incredulous face is what has won the hearts of the nation!” Xiao Zhan sent via text, a Lan Zhan meme to accompany it.

“It’s definitely your small waist in that red dress,” Wang Yibo shot back with a gif of Xiao Zhan yeeting off his belt from the same scene.

His phone was hardly silent after that. All his WeChats were blowing up and his manager kept informing him of additions to his schedule. 

“Ge, it’s gonna be like filming all over again. You’re gonna be so sick of me after all these interviews!” Yibo teased one night, as they were preparing to fly out for their first mid-release interview.

“Never, Lao-Wang, who could get tired of your small face?”

The anticipation was clear in both their voices.

The interviews were many, and varied, and mostly enjoyable. Much like the interviews during filming, the questions centred a lot around their characters and how they related to them, but a surprising amount of questions were also just about him and Yibo and their experiences on set and their thoughts of each other. As the leads, people were raptly interested in them. They’d talked about their preferences in relationships, how they preferred to sleep, about hair implants and ski trips and tossed raisins at each other and been asked novel trivia questions and grilled on every detail they could recall about stories from set. It was exhausting but also fun and really gratifying to see the response their performances had garnered. 

If Xiao Zhan had entertained doubts about their rapport with each other all these months after they ended filming, it was very quickly laid to rest. They fell right back into their old banter and teasing flirtations.

Invariably everything wasn’t only positive and wholesome. Not every question would be safe.

“Xiao Zhan, as a vampire, what do you think about the fictional vampires as portrayed in The Untamed?” The interviewer asked in his solo interview.

“Well, it’s a fictional portrayal. I like the character of Wei Wuxian very well.” Xiao Zhan answered, wondering if he would have to redirect the coming questions.

“Do you consider Wei Wuxian to be sinister or sympathetic? I’m sure this is some fans’ first exposure to an actual vampire portraying vampire related fiction. Have you had a lot of support from the vampire community?”

Well, that was certainly a lot to unpack, and Xiao Zhan had to wonder how his management had let this question pass. At the same time he had known he would have to start handling these sorts of questions eventually, so he considered his answer now very carefully.

“I think, as with anything, there will be those that accept vampires in human media, and those that don’t. I can only work hard to provide some representation for the vampire community, and to open the door in some small way to an integrated vampire-human society. I don’t see why we should not all enjoy the same media, or why we should segregate ourselves in this day and age. As for Wei Wuxian, I think his stance at the beginning was very clearly laid out as being sympathetic. You’ll just have to watch and see where his development and the thread of the story takes him. He may not be a textbook example of the actual workings of a vampire, but he does have very relatable reactions to the events of the drama. I was drawn to this drama because of the person he is, not just his eventual vampire status.”

“Do you know that some of the behind the scenes clips have already been released?” The interviewer continues, thankfully moving on to a less controversial issue and Xiao Zhan can finally smile again as the questions continue to roll in.

“Oh, have they?” He asks, seeing Yibo step back into the room to wait for his turn at the individual questions. Xiao Zhan’s slot is almost done.

“They have. It seems the summer sun was very hot during filming. Was that not uncomfortable?”

“Oh, I don’t mind the heat so much, but the sun was pretty blinding. Lao-Wang was the one who wilted beside the air conditioner, but I will admit I made the make-up jiejjie’s work hard because I went everywhere in sunglasses.”

At the mention of his name Yibo looked up to meet Xiao Zhan’s eyes and silently gestured his intent to get Xiao Zhan for that comment later.

“We saw some scenes of you on the suspension wires. How was the experience?”

“Oh, the wires were exciting once I got used to them, but they require a great deal of core strength to maintain posture. Lucky for me I got to do some stunts without them. Yibo made it look easy though, he was a natural. Yu Bin really pushed the limits of his own wire free stunts too, I’m sure he’s mentioned how much he enjoyed that.”

The interview ends soon after, concluding with rapid fire fan questions and some meme photo poses, then Yibo is moving to take the seat Xiao Zhan has just vacated, pressing a flask into his hands as he does. Xiao Zhan twists off the cap to find steaming water inside, one of the few things he can drink that isn’t blood or a synthetic. So that’s where Yibo disappeared to earlier? Xiao Zhan nods his thanks, stepping back to wait out Yibo’s interview so they can leave here together and he can thank him properly.

That afternoon Xiao Zhan treats Yibo to noodles as a thank you, and they share a car to their next engagement. They discuss their itineraries to figure out when their schedules match and they can spend some time catching up. It has been a long while, after all, since they’ve seen each other regularly. And unlike before when it would have drawn suspicion, now they don’t need an excuse to be around each other again. Xiao Zhan decides not to have the driver drop him at a separate entrance from Yibo, because it should be fine that they arrive together.

Their press tour continues, and as expected Xiao Zhan’s segment on vampire-human relations sparks discussion on both ends of the spectrum, accepting and outraged. By the end of the week there has been a significant amount of backlash from human antis and puritist vampires. Xuan Lu’s team decides it might be better if she didn’t attend some of the press tour events in light of the growing tensions brewing beneath the enthusiasm the drama is generating. Xiao Zhan’s clan gets formally in contact with some of the Beijing clans for some on site assistance. Most clans are set up like small self sufficient communes so it’s not hard to recommend competent vampiric security staff. Xiao Zhan leaves it to Zhang Jing to handle the logistics of making access arrangements at event venues and the casts’ hotels.

The Sina interview went live on 09 July 2019 and by the time the day for their fan-meet came around on 12 July Xiao Zhan was feeling more than a little on edge. Today they would be on stage in front of fans with all their security personnel out of reach and off stage. He kept reminding himself that 3 notes and some bad public opinions were not enough to get this worked up over. He’d pulled Yu Bin and Li Bowen aside almost as soon as they’d all arrived, and they agreed to be vigilant. If anybody did try to make it up onto the stage they’d be sure to put themselves between them and their human cast mates. It’s probably not something any of their managers would be very pleased about, but it felt like the bare minimum they could do while not knowing what to expect.

The fan-meet itself was a bit of an odd experience. Xiao Zhan mostly zoned out while their MC droned on, quickly paying attention when questions were aimed towards their panel of chairs off to the side of the stage. It was a little bit of a song and dance, and he was resisting the urge to kick at Yibo’s foot as Yibo got progressively more bold with his complements and focused attention for Xiao Zhan alone, but then they’d laugh together at something happening on stage. Like Zhu Zanjin grabbing Liu Haikuan’s waist to effectively do the opposite of the objective of the game they were playing. He didn’t know what was funnier, Wang Yuzhou giving up half way through the match or Zhu Zanjin and Liu Haikuan’s blatant cheating.

And then the announcer called out their team as the last contestants. Yibo against two vampires. They were all a little sheepish as they stepped into the small circular dias, and Xiao Zhan uttered a “fair play,fair play,” under his breath just for their three’s benefit, because they had three vampires on stage, surely they didn’t need to stack the game this way? Yu Bin just snickered, and with a shared look between Xiao Zhan and Yibo they made quick work of knocking Yu Bin off the podium before he had the chance to cheat or use his full strength or something.

What followed was Xiao Zhan’s prompt defeat, followed by a rematch, and ending with them in a tie when Xiao Zhan is the last remaining person standing on the little dais. Yibo doesn’t look as put upon as one might expect from a defeat, but maybe that’s because he won their previous bout in mere seconds. The rest of the event passes without incident, except for Yibo thinking Xiao Zhan would suddenly be grey in 16 years, or still not able to ride a bicycle… he has superhuman reflexes and strength, how could Yibo besmirch his good name that way?

“Ah, I saw you last week,” they’d joked, and Xiao Zhan could only hope that in 16 years time that could be true.

“I’ll still be young in 16 years, Lao-Wang, it’s you that will have the grey hair,” He’d leaned in close to tease as they walked back to their seats. 

“All vampires are just vain,” Yibo had shot back, “There’s no other practical advantage it seems.” He’d been teased right back.

  
  
Having grown up eating regular food, Xiao Zhan still had an appreciation for food that smelled good. He’d learned to cook a little when he was young but he seldom puts his skills to the test now. He hasn’t had a human lover in a while, but if they would allow him to bite them on occasion, then making them a home cooked meal seemed only fair.

“Yibo, why do you only have ramen and bottled water here?” Xiao Zhan asked from Yibo’s kitchen.

“I’m only ever here to sleep over once a week. Besides, who told you to snoop around my kitchen anyway?” Yibo was toweling his hair dry now that he was dressed and presentable. They hadn’t managed to co-ordinate their flights to Changsha, so Xiao Zhan had arrived after Yibo, decided to forgo dropping by his own accomodations and to spend his free evening with his co-star instead. Well, they weren’t just co-stars. Xiao Zhan had also foregone his latest allotment of synth blood, but that was beside the point and just this side of wishful thinking.

He’d be happy with a kiss too, and somehow kissing Yibo in his doorway earlier when all he’d been wearing was a towel slung low around his hips seemed a little too forward and not in keeping with their current status quo. 

Sure Xiao Zhan was thirsty but he could handle it. He had no need to define just which type of thirsty that happened to be. Just watch him being decent and restrained. He hadn’t even let on that he was watching the water run out of Yibo’s hair and trickle down his bare neck and shoulders as he made his way deeper into his Changsha apartment to get dressed.

“I was hoping I could make you dinner, actually,” Xiao Zhan finally got around to staying, even as he stepped in close to Yibo, pulling him in with a hand at his waist. “Hi.” And, foregoing their previous conversation entirely, he leaned down to capture a pink lipped kiss from Yibo.

“Oh, hi,” Yibo’s eyebrows shot up but he leaned in for another kiss regardless.

Xiao Zhan complies but then leans back, “Why ‘Oh’?” He asks.

“I don’t know, we seemed to be leaning more towards friends than benefits recently,” Yibo shrugs lightly with one shoulder. But he doesn’t pull away, and his eyes do lose contact with Xiao Zhan’s own momentarily to look at his mouth instead.

“Ah,” Xiao Zhan doesn’t have much time to say more as Yibo continues.

“We never meet in person when we’re both in Beijing, we haven’t hooked up since we wrapped up filming, you haven’t bitten me since then either.”

“Um, about that…” Xiao Zhan starts, but Yibo’s gaze sharpens and he interrupts.

“Which one? Meeting, sex or biting?”

“Meeting, which kind of includes the rest then, doesn’t it?”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I don’t want to attract unfriendly attention to you.”

“From who?”

“You’ve seen the media backlash. There’s vampires out there not happy about what I do. I don’t want them to take any special interest in you.” His arm tightens around Yibo, even the idea raises his hackles.

“Isn’t that what your guard dog was for?” Yibo asks bitingly.

“You noticed?”

“It’s hard not to notice when you’re trained to be aware, and you see the same guy in whichever city you happen to be in, just, keeping his distance, but always following.”

“That must have been unsettling. I’m sorry. How did you figure out that that was my doing?”

“I didn’t, really. You’ve just confirmed it.”

Xiao Zhan’s jaw clenches at the look of actual anger that flashes across Yibo’s face, there and gone in an instant. “You think someone wants to hurt me? That’s hardly new.” Yibo releases a breath, looks over his shoulder at the couch in the sitting room.

“I think someone wants to hurt me, but I’m a hard target, so they’d be willing to hurt those close to me. I know you have been in this industry longer, and dealt with more antis and are well versed in keeping safe, but until now the list of possible threats to you have not included zealot vampires.”

“Then why are you here now? Why risk it, risk me, now?”

This time, Xiao Zhan does let go and step back, bewildered, hurt and guilt slowly awakening to join the fray.

“Should I go?” He asked, unsure how the conversation took this turn, unwilling to stay if he was not welcome.Yibo… probably had every right to be upset.

“Honestly, I don’t want you to go. But you could be more forthcoming and tell me what’s going on instead of half ghosting me, Xiao Zhan. I can handle the truth, but I can’t handle a whole lot of silence and secrets. Trust me a little, then maybe we won’t end up fighting in my kitchen instead of making out on the couch!”

“We are fighting, aren’t we.” Xiao Zhan said. Yibo was fierce and loyal and Xiao Zhan had never found him more attractive. “I was wrong, and I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you? And could we still get to making out on the couch, because I’ve missed you and I’ve been looking forward to seeing you tonight.” He wasn’t trying to pull the hangdog shtick, so he didn’t advance and instead waited patiently for Yibo’s verdict.

“Well, I think we understand each other a little, now, Zhan-Ge. Seeing as you’ve broken your self imposed exile from my presence, and you say you’ve missed me. I think it’s best you spend this time making up for lost time.”

“Hm, but first, let me order you some dinner. You’re hosting tomorrow, and I wouldn’t want to wear you out.”

“Oh, I give and inch, and you take a mile, huh?” Yibo relents to being pulled closer.

Time is short, and their argument is not forgotten, but it can rest on the backburner a little longer.

Calls were placed, then they fell into the couch with matching groans as they got to know each other's mouths again while they waited for Yibo’s meal to be delivered. After a quick dinner Yibo dragged Xiao Zhan into his bedroom, and unlike the night of his birthday, where he’d been blissed out from Xiao Zhan’s bite and let Xiao Zhan finger him open slow, tonight Xiao Zhan lay sprawled on the bed looking open and inviting.

“Is it okay if I bite you after?” Xiao Zhan asked, to be sure, to get consent.

“Yeah, yes, please.” Yibo agreed instantly, even as he settled down between Xiao Zhan’s legs. 

Reality slipped away and they seemed transported to another world between their shared breaths and orgasms and feeding. The feeling lasted well into the next day, and they were both loose and easy throughout the Day Day Up recordings. Their managers shot them thumbs ups even when they were so giddy they had to do reshoots. It persisted well past the end of the day, when they’d finished recordings and ended up back at Yibo’s place before their next flights to their next jobs. Nothing bad happened and reality dared not intrude. 

Xiao Zhan never did make it to his hotel room. He never did see the note left there for him. He might not have noticed, but someone else did note his very marked absence, and they seethed all the more for it. 

The next few days seemed to flash by unnaturally quickly, and every day brought its own set of excitement and unwelcome drama. Xiao Zhan’s management goes over his interview questions with a fine toothed comb and he gets no further uncomfortable or divisive questions about vampirism thrown his way. Yu Bin though does not fare so well, getting asked some pointed questions about being a half blood vampire, but fields the questions he gets in his group interview well enough to steer the conversation back around, refocusing it towards stunts and games on set.

Though their schedules are chaotic and they seem to be needed somewhere urgently 20 hours out of every 24, Xiao Zhan finds a way to Yibo’s hotel room as often as possible, often with a meal or a snack that Yibo might partake in. He takes to bringing along green tea. Most nights that they get to end together they invariably end up just falling asleep, the day dragging down their limbs and their eyelids. But it’s worth it to wake up together, with yawns and bedhead, maybe a kiss or a shower together if they have time. Yibo in the mornings is a joy to behold, and Xiao Zhan feels honoured to witness him at his least put together.

Xiao Zhan sucks up bag after bag of synth blood to keep up with the hectic schedule, but also because Yibo is a constant temptation that he simply cannot give in to. If he thinks this is all exhilarating if exhausting, then he can only imagine how Yibo must be holding up against the onslaught. His manager had given him and his assistant some strange looks when Zhang Jing brought him yet another cooler of preserved whole blood. If Yibo ever noticed, he didn’t bat an eyelash.

He’d been putting in so many blood requests in fact, that his mother had called him about his blood requisition logs, her concern muffled under layers of gentle affection and fierce protectiveness.

“They aren’t working you too hard, are they?” She’d finally asked. She’d called directly to his cell, and Yibo lay on the couch watching tv after his turn in the shower.

“No, nothing like that. It’s busy, but good busy. I like it.” He’d reassured her, stepping closer to lean against the couch arm, the fingers of his free hand reaching down to brush over the exposed top of Yibo’s foot. “Things are going really well.”

  
  


Before they know it almost two weeks have passed. Xiao Zhan has just had a nearly out of body experience with the truly inspired styling from the Bizaar photoshoot and is just about to tease Yibo again about the voluminous white skirt he’d been made to where, while surreptitiously trying to feel out if he could convince Yibo to wear it again in private, when the boarding gate scan beeps loudly and a airport official steps forward to separate him from the line.

“You’re at the wrong gate. You need to board at the 6th gate, please,” 

Xiao Zhan looked down at his ticket, then back at the airport official, before it dawned on him. It was a segregated flight.

“What’s the problem?” Yibo called from a short distance away at a barrier, “Is something wrong?”

Just then Xiao Zhan’s manager showed up. She’d been busy at her own boarding check, and had not realised anything was wrong until Yibo broke off from his own manager and walked right past her. She very quickly and quietly began talking to the official, pulling out a letter and bowing profusely.

With nothing better to do but wait, that's what Xiao Zhan would have to do. 

“You go on. I might not make this flight,” Xiao Zhan leaned over the barrier to tell Yibo, who frowned, eyes darting to Xiao Zhan’s manager and the airport official.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later,” He promises. He fires off a message to Zhang Jing about the delay. She’d flown out beforehand with some of their luggage, and to prepare for some of his other obligations. “Ah, here, take these,” Xiao Zhan holds up a bag for Yibo to take, “I got you snacks. For the flight.”

Yibo was frowning too hard to take them right away, and just then Xiao Zhan’s manager turned around and gestured at him to come over.

“There was a misunderstanding. You’ve been pre-approved for this flight. We can’t wait for another one.”

The official waved him through with a pinched expression, and Xiao Zhan clutched the bag of snacks, Yibo following on the other side of the barrier. Then they were boarding, and getting seated, and somehow no other alarms were let off.

By unspoken agreement they did not bring it up again throughout the duration of the flight. Instead they had a quietly companionable flight, followed by their separate exits from the airport where their fans were ready and waiting for opportunities to take photos, then reuniting later that evening to catch their episode of Day Day Up together. They had started off respectably enough, on their own sides of Yibo’s couch, but Yibo ended up leaning back against Xiao Zhan’s chest, tucked up against him between the sprawl of his legs as they reclined and laughed together.

The fruits of his diligence with the synth blood and whole blood he’d been consuming lie in the fact that it had been long enough since the last time he’d bitten Yibo that it would be safe enough to do so tonight. Their schedules would not be this fortuitous again for a while until their next joint appearances at least, that tonight would be Xiao Zhan’s last opportunity in a while to have Yibo in this way.

They hadn’t explicitly discussed it, but Yibo lay against him, his heartbeat beating a staccato drum against Xiao Zhan’s sternum, rousing his own sluggish heartbeat to almost trip over itself to keep up. Yibo had been eating better recently, and looked flushed and vital. He’d been busy, but not so busy that he was full of dance bruises, or incidental cuts. The smell of him, the rich allure of the blood pulsing through his veins, called to something deep in Xiao Zhan. It was a taste he had recently been steeped in, little by little, stolen taste by stolen moment. His fangs throbbed and ached to unsheath, almost a Pavlovian effect to the mere presence of Wang Yibo.

Yibo was laughing now, turning his head up against Xiao Zhan’s collarbone to catch his eye. His hair was especially long and floppy, and he reached up with his huge hand to push it off his face and behind his ear.

Xiao Zhan couldn’t put into words how the sight stopped the breath in his chest, and seared itself into his mind. Yibo’s hand was caught in his and he’d turned them to push Yibo into the couch under him and was licking into his mouth with a moan between one breath and the next.

He felt the shiver that ran through Yibo, the same way he felt it every time he manhandled Yibo and put him where he wanted him. He’s seen how his eyes dilated, became dark and deep, his breath hot and humid, muscles languid, just giving himself over and over to Xiao Zhan and whatever his whims and wants may be in that moment.

Yibo’s eyes met his when he pulled back far enough to make eye contact, even as he adjusted his legs to cradle Xiao Zhan in them more comfortably. 

“We could take this to my room,” Yibo offered accommodatingly, the consummate host, “or here’s good.” And then he shattered the last of Xiao Zhan’s resolve and restraint by reaching straight past any of Xiao Zhan’s non existent defences and pressing a thumb right up against Xiao Zhan’s neck. Pressing right up against his carotid. His eyes fell to watch his thumb dig in and Xiao Zhan’s fangs unsheathed. He had no choice in the matter. They were both surely remembering the last time Yibo had been this close to Xiao Zhan’s neck, the time Yibo had dug his teeth in almost to the point of breaking skin with his blunt, human teeth.

“Not once, since that first time, ge, have you bitten my neck.” Yibo gave one last push, eyes locked on Xiao Zhan’s. “Let’s do that. Please.”

Yibo really did not have to resort to begging, to asking so very well. Before the word was even properly out of his mouth Xiao Zhan had hauled him off the couch, felt Yibo’s legs wrap around his waist, and then carried him to the bed as if he weighed absolutely nothing. 

Yibo was flung to the bed, where he bounced once before Xiao Zhan pushed him down with his hand, pulling off his pants and underwear in one go even as Yibo moved to remove his t-shirt. Then Xiao Zhan was standing back to pull his clothes off as well before crawling up the bed, up Yibo’s body, fangs sharply on display, erection already hot and heavy.

“Oh? You’ve got a request list, Yibo? Well, how do you want it, then? You want me to open you up and take and take? In you and in you? Or do you want me to swallow you inside? Do you think you can stay hard and fill me up good even as I drink you up?”

Yibo full body shuddered, eyes all blown pupils, his arousal quickly catching up with Xiao Zhan’s. “Yes,” His voice broke on the word, forcing him to cough and swallow before he could continue. “Ride me. I want you ro ride me and bite me.”

He wanted Xiao Zhan over him, around him, on him and in him at the same time. Xiao Zhan wouldn’t make him wait or ask again.

“Oh, I can do that. I won’t be going easy on you tonight, Yibo.” He didn’t waste time with more than the bare minimum of prep, his body was resilient and forgiving, all he needed was a cursory pass with slick fingers, spreading the remainder of the slick over Yibo’s cock, and then he was sinking decisively down onto Yibo even as he opened his mouth around the column of his neck and biting down hard and deep. He bottomed out even as he clenched his jaw closed and took that first dizzying, sucking mouthful of hot, salty blood. Yibo could only mewl out an utterly wounded sound even as his cock thickened in Xiao Zhan’s ass, and his nails dug into Xiao Zhan’s back. 

That second of combined penetration hung suspended in the air for an endless moment, and then they were both moving, arching and fucking close and hard as Xiao Zhan pulled small, hard mouthfuls of blood into his mouth with each erratic beat of Yibo’s heart. They wouldn’t last long, not at this intensity of sensation and momentum, but when they did crash together over the edge the aftershocks would seem unending. Xiao Zhan would stay sat right on top of Yibo’s cock, which wouldn’t even properly soften before firming up again slowly. They’d roll over and Xiao Zhan would wonder at Yibo’s stamina as Yibo slid slow and languidly out and then back into him, his way slicked by his own cum, his body draped over Xiao Zhan’s, unhurried, drawn out, loving. Xiao Zhan would come again to the remaining taste of Yibo’s blood in his mouth even as Yibo’s hips stuttered and he sustained the press of his hips into and into and into Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan would wrap a long leg around him to hold him in place a little longer, safely wrapped in his body, as close as they could get.

Eventually they would roll out of bed and make their way to the shower for a perfunctory clean, then they’d stumble back to bed, warm and naked and curled into each other.

Yibo lay on his side, Xiao Zhan curved around him, and reached down to touch the silver coloured band around Xiao Zhan’s wrist. “You never take this off. There’s no clasp,” his voice was hushed in the dark and quiet.

“Hm, it’s not meant to be taken off.” Xiao Zhan said into his shoulder, eyes closed.

“It’s not just decorative, right? This is why they wanted to change your flight?”

“If you already know, then why ask?” Xiao Zhan asked, pressing a kiss into Yibo’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t sure. I had a feeling.”

“Usually it’s not a problem. I’m sorry it was one today.”

“It’s so dumb, though. Who thought that would be a good idea?”

Xiao Zhan hummed into Yibo’s skin, rubbed soothingly at the skin on his belly, and the conversation got folded under layers of cool dark and warm bodies and sleep.

But love was not an ever blooming flower, and everything could not spin endlessly like a twinkle in the sun. Even without the complications inherent in falling in love with a human, and a man at that in this environment, or just any love relationship in the industry they found themselves in, it was inevitable that they would end up saying sleepy, subdued goodbyes even as their respective obligations dragged them in opposite directions the next morning without any luxury of time to speak.

Even just categorizing this slowly swelling wave of emotions as love felt big and hot and heavy and overwhelming.

He was greeted by a very unhappy manager and a baleful assistant once he returned from basically running off on them.

He had no need for the synth blood his assistant provided either and exchanged a somewhat embarrassed polite refusal back and forth with Zhang Jing over it. Then he was whisked off to makeup because even vampires needed to be primped and pressed to be camera ready. That morning he’d be sitting for an on camera interview as part of the ongoing drama promotions. With the success of the show so far, doing exceedingly well and with the views and ratings ticking impossibly higher and higher, everyone was eager for a piece of the action. This was meant to be another light-hearted, fun filled interview appealing to the hearts of fans. Xiao Zhan wasn’t worried.

He took the opportunity between make-up and the interview proper to open his WeChat and send a quick message to Yibo. They wouldn’t have another combined event until after Yibo’s birthday, and while it felt too long away, perhaps Xiao Zhan could use that time well, parse out what he wanted for them from here. 

It isn’t until after the interview, when he checks his phone again, that he notices that him and Wang Yibo are trending on Weibo’s hot search list. Fan theories are running wild after their appearance on TTXS and a surprisingly large number of the attention seems to be split between the romantics, which are expected, and a seemingly large number of very vocal anti-vampire groups.

A playful flash of teeth between friends, and iIt seems the idea of Yibo being so close with a vampire has infuriated some people. It seems that some people think he is a threat to Wang Yibo’s wellbeing. It seems some people don’t view Xiao Zhan as a human being at all. 

He stops reading there because that is as much as he can take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have struggled with some sections, considered rewriting them, but ultimately left them in... also, who can guess which 3500 words just spontaneously wrote itself instead of sticking to my outline? Thank you very much to everyone that commented. I hope this chapter does your kind words and compliments justice.


	3. Living In The Stillness Between Each Bated Breath

# Part 3 

Living In The Stillness Between Each Bated Breath

* * *

_| 1 |_ _LAN WANGJI AND WEI WUXIAN OFF THE CAMERA_

_| 3 |_ _XIAO ZHAN TOUCHES WANG YIBO’S NECK_

_| 12 |_ _HAS WANG YIBO BEEN BEWITCHED_

_| 27 |_ _VAMPIRE PRINCE LURED AWAY BY IDOL?_

  


_They hit 4 spots on the hot search list as various supertopics blow up over the following few days. They were mystified by the sudden interest their bit had garnered, but before they even had a chance to sit down with their respective managers and company PR on what their strategy of response - or lack of response - would be, photos started surfacing in supertopics._

_“Are those bite marks on Wang Yibo’s neck?” Photos were posted and zoomed in on._

_“This is just a rumor, but my friend has been a donor for xx before and he has not been getting in any donor partners in a long while”_

_“I’ve seen them arrive at sets together for interviews” accompanied by shaky fancam footage._

_“Protect Wang Yibo” with petitions to end the press tour with supposed evidence of him looking ill and ‘anaemic’._

_“These rumours are ridiculous, and here’s why” articles by fang girls listing out Xiao Zhan’s blood pedigree and his most likely, equally pure-blooded wife candidates_

_“Look at them snarling at each other, the cute babies” accompanied by a gif of Xiao Zhan flashing Yibo his teeth in annoyance at Yibo making a teasing comment, and Yibo flashing him his own teeth in challenge._

_“Let’s break down this body language” the same gif of them showing each other teeth_

_The articles and “proofs” are unending._  
  
---  
  
* * *

_I never have any bite marks as souvenirs_

_(29/07/2019 21:42)_

_Bite marks count as souvenirs?_ _  
_ _(29/07/2019 21:43)_ _  
  
_

_They would be if I had any to remember you by_

_(29/07/2019 21:43)_

_Am I that easy to forget?_

_(29/07/2019 21:44)_

_No matter how hard I try, I can never seem to leave a bruise on you either_

_(29/07/2019 21:46)_

_So that’s why you keep gnawing at me! What are you, a dog?_

_(29/07/2019 21:46)_

_I want to leave your skin marked with a constellation of love bites_

_(29/07/2019 21:52)_

_Like proof. Like lasting kisses_

_(29/07/2019 21:52)_

_Everyone is looking for proof, and I can’t leave any anyway_

_(29/07/2019 22:13)_

  


_My morning is suddenly free_

_(30/07/2019 10:28)_

_Mine too. Our interview got cancelled_

_(30/07/2019 10:29)_

  


_Sorry. Almost as soon as I pulled out my phone my manager showed up to run over some scheduling changes_

_(30/07/2019 14:17)_

  


_I know I shouldn’t be checking, but there are some interesting things floating around on Weibo_

_(30/07/2019 22:34)_

  


_You really shouldn’t be checking Weibo. Out of interest sake, though, what was so interesting?_

_(31/07/2019 06:16)_

  


_INCOMING VIDEO CALL: Wang Yibo_

  


_Xiao Zhan answers the call. He’s in the kitchen with his lukewarm synth blood breakfast in a cute thermos. “Ah, good morning, to what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning phone call?” He asks cheerfully, unsure of what mood he’ll find Yibo in._

_Yibo is looking bright and bushy tailed on the screen, and Xiao Zhan has to double check to make sure it is actually still early morning. Yibo raises a perfect brow as he leans in to make his own greetings. “I have a minute before we leave for the airport. I thought I’d take this opportunity to see your beautiful face.” Wang Yibo intones solemnly._

_Xiao Zhan set aside his cute thermos, his eyes widening in surprise, “Is the world ending? You can tease me this early in the morning? Have you been awake all night?”_

_Yibo cocks his head to the side, and very nonchalantly asks, “What, I can’t compliment you?”_

_Xiao Zhan narrows his eyes suspiciously, a confused flush heating his face, “Not usually when you can’t follow up on it, no. And weren’t you just being all foreboding about your Weibo searches?”_

_“Hm, no, I thought about it, ge” Yibo grinned suddenly into the screen, “Seeing as you’re forever young, that makes you the eye candy out of the two of us. Eventually I’ll outage you, and you’ll be the pretty thing on my arm until you get tired of my wrinkly face. It’s nice, it makes me want to spoil you.”_

_“Yibo! What nonsense are you talking about now?”_

_“What, are you saying you’re already tired of me? You’re not going to stay with me until I’m going grey?”_

_“How could I ever get tired of you. Fine, I’ll be the fresh face that makes you look good. What even is this conversation. Now my drink is cold.” Xiao Zhan could only smile along flabbergasted as Yibo laughed like a gremlin on the other end of the call._  
  
---  
  
* * *

Their smaller meet and greets had been cancelled, some appearances slightly postponed, and currently Xiao Zhan and Yibo’s management were hotly debating whether they should push for the Happy Camp filming to continue as normal or not.

On the one hand their popularity both singly and as a CP was soaring. On the other, this appearance would fall under strict scrutiny from the public and the investors. The situation had the smell of a potential scandal in the making. It was a miracle that no information about Xiao Zhan’s stalker had been leaked and added to the mix as well. 

Xiao Zhan had had to sit through a rather uncomfortable meeting with his management regarding their views on the matter. The public’s perception of his and Yibo’s relationship was not something either of their companies took for granted. While a certain amount of fanservice and skinship always went a long way to promote a BL drama, the objective was the illusion of intimacy, not real indiscretion. 

Xiao Zhan was almost amused by how much attention his love life and feeding schedule was suddenly getting. On the heels of his and Yibo’s reunion at the start of this press tour, Yibo hadn’t seemed too concerned with the vaguely worded threats he himself had received about being discreet. This new wave of attention didn’t phase him at all, it seemed. At least their managers knew about their relationship, and as far as Xiao Zhan could tell they were quietly smoothing the way for them to not be noticed and not get caught somehow. 

So that’s how it was that Xiao Zhan and Yibo found themselves back in Changsha, in Yibo’s stomping grounds, getting ready for Happy Camp. Xiao Zhan had flown in and been met at Hunan TV’s broadcast building by Yibo’s manager. She led him and his team to meet the hosts then directed him directly to Yibo who was busy getting styled. Xiao Zhan was directed first to wardrobe by a stylist, then directed to a make-up station next to Yibo. 

“You made it. Was the traffic busy from the airport?” Yibo greeted, unable to turn his head to meet Xiao Zhan’s eyes. 

“Is it ever not? I don’t like falling behind schedule though,” Xiao Zhan obediently closed his mouth when the make-up artist indicated. When he opened his eyes again he could see Yibo had turned to face him.

“More than that, I hear they had to shuffle around some segments when the other cast members got postponed. It’s just us here today”

“Yeah, it seems so. Ah, are you and Cheng Guo getting along alright? With just us being here, it should make it easier for him to keep you safe.” The make-up artists had stepped back, their work finished and Xiao Zhan spoke freely, knowing there were no ears paying any particular attention to them. Things were always crowded, but the staff minded their own business for the most part and gave them the lightest veneer of a sense of privacy.

“Yeah, he’s okay. Professional. So there’s no one else arranged for his venue? Last time you got in reinforcements, didn’t you?” Yibo asked curiously. Well, he seemed accepting of Cheng Guo, at least, which was a relief.

“Yeah, security is high enough here that with just us it’s really not necessary to get anyone else. Don’t make it sound like such a campaign mission though, wow, Wang Yibo.” The pervasive unease that the topic of why they needed additional security was ever present, but Xiao Zhan has his eyes on Yibo, and couldn’t help but to forget about any threat when he was there to keep him safe. So he said as much. “Besides, who needs reinforcements when you have me here. Stick with me and you’ll be safe for sure.”

Xiao Zhan could see his manager and Yibo’s manager having a conversation off to the side. He made a conscious effort not to pay attention to their hushed discussion. Yibo caught his eye in the mirror and smirked at him knowingly.

“So you’re going to be here for a while before you fly out, right? Let’s make plans while we’re both here. “We can have dinner with Han-ge.” Yibo was just about glowing as he said this. Xiao Zhan could only nod in agreement, despite the fact he would definitely be the odd one out at that dinner table.

“I’d like that,” Xiao Zhan said, and the perfection of Yibo’s heart shaped smile had nothing to do with his make up or styling.

To give them credit, the Happy Camp team was very professional, the guests highly entertaining, and the games were fun and inclusive. Xiao Zhan and Yibo didn’t try to dial down their banter and camaraderie, because that is what their fans needed to see, and because they could do nothing but be themselves. They were happy and relaxed as they learnt about waste sorting and played name games against each other. Everyone on set seemed amused, and any worry that had been weighing on Xiao Zhan’s heart was put aside. When Yibo grabbed the shot of bitter juice that was Xiao Zhan’s punishment for losing his round of the name game, downing it in his stead, Xiao Zhan honestly had a difficult time not kissing him on camera. 

Then the segment was over and the set was going to be prepared, so as they left the stage Xiao Zhan waited for Yibo so they could head back to their changing rooms together. As they were walking off stage he was just saying that Yibo was still owed a birthday meal when the smell hit him.

The rich, coppery smell of blood.

Xiao Zhan was instantly alert, his hand coming up to wrap around Yibo’s wrist to stop him, to pull him closer. He cast his eyes around for any sign of Cheng Guo or Zhang Jing. As a pureblood, his senses were just that much sharper, but this smelled like a lot of blood, and surely he wasn’t the first to smell it. Sure enough, it wasn’t the usual off stage bustle going on around them as people started getting ushered to gather together by harried looking staff.

Cheng Guo appeared all of a sudden, having spotted them and gestured for them to follow him. He quickly guided them down an abandoned looking corridor and up some stairs.

“What’s happened,” Xiao Zhan asked as soon as they rounded a corner and they were out of sight of anyone else.

“There’s been an attack. A vampire attacked one of the make-up artists.” Cheng Guo replied, looking tense and uneasy.

A flash of premonition ran cold fingers down Xiao Zhan’s spine, and he felt Yibo tug reflexively against his tightening hold on his wrist.

“Where?”

“Your change room,” Cheng Guo says, looking from one of them to the other. “I’ve been asked to accompany you to a meeting room until you’re able to leave safely.”

“What happened exactly,” Yibo asked as the immediate follow up.

“I wasn’t told much except that there was an attack and the paramedics have been called. It doesn’t look good for the girl.” Here he caught Xiao Zhan’s eye, grim. “Filming has been put on hold, but I was told to fetch the two of you, you won’t be filming the rest of the episode. The assailant might still be on the premises.” Cheng Guo gestured for them to proceed him into a secluded conference room. It was the only door at this end of the corridor, and anyone watching at the door would be able to see anyone approaching the area.

Yibo looked pale in the harsh artificial lights of the corridor, worry pulling down the corners of his mouth as he lowered himself into a chair. His make-up was still on, his shirt not buttoned quite right after the rush of removing their microphones when they were leaving the stage earlier. Xiao Zhan took one look at him and promptly asked Cheng Guo to fetch Yibo some water. Cheng Guo acquiesced with a small bow before quietly leaving the room, allowing Xiao Zhan to take up sentry position at the door.

The room was silent as Xiao Zhan paced, Yibo’s eyes tracking his movements.

“This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen,” Xiao Zhan said, fists clenching.

“Where’s my manager? Is someone going to let us know what’s going on with everyone else?” Yibo seemed to remember his phone was still on him, and dug it out of his jeans pocket to switch it on.

Xiao Zhan had just been wondering the same thing and reached to switch his own phone on too. Sticking his head out of the door he listened intently, but it was quiet. “No one’s in the immediate vicinity. That’s probably why Cheng Guo thought it best that we wait here. I’m sure they’re on their way.” He sounded more certain of that than he was. “I haven’t even gotten a message.” He mumbled his phone had finished booting up.

“This building has some spotty signal problems. Go figure,” Yibo provided, frowning at his own lack of signal bars. “I guess we won’t be having dinner with Han-ge.”

Xiao Zhan turned from the doorway to face Yibo, a guilt ridden apologetic twist to his mouth as he walked over to crouch down in front Yibo. “I’m sorry this happened. I was really hoping nothing like this would happen and then the promos would be done and there would be no reason for anyone to continue to harass me. I’m sure we can get a raincheck on that dinner.”

He’d been so lost in thought that both him and Yibo startled when the door opened and Zhang Jing stepped in. She looked no worse for wear, maybe a little frazzled. The cloying smell of blood washed into the room with her. “Xiao Zhan, the manager needs you to join her. They need to ask you about some details regarding the incident.”

“Me? What could they want to ask me?” But if they needed him, he would have to go. Yibo stood when he did, uncertain what he should do.

“I’ll wait here with you, Wang-laoshi, I’m sure they won’t be long. Everyone is being allowed to leave soon,” Zhang Jing offered, and the matter seemingly settled, Xiao Zhan gave Yibo’s hand one more squeeze before exiting the room and following the directions he’d been given to get to his manager.

Yibo watched Xiao Zhan leave, then looked up at Zhang Jing. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like being the only one seated.

“Jing-jie, do you know what’s going on? Did you see my manager?” Yibo asks, after standing up rather abruptly. 

“Ah, yes, she was speaking with one of the producers because of what happened and because of the rest of the show’s filming being cancelled.” Zhang Jing’s full attention was on Wang Yibo, and it was a little unsettling.

“So we’re just going to leave?” Yibo asked, uncomfortable that if this situation was left unresolved there would be a willing killer on the lose out for Xiao Zhan. “I don’t understand why someone would want to hurt or attack Zhan-ge. What sort of fan wants to hurt their idol.” This last was more a mumble to himself than directly addressed to Zhang Jing but she doesn’t seem very pleased with it.

“Come on, how about we go down to the car. It’d be better to leave as inconspicuously as possible, and the rental is in the underground parking. Xiao Zhan laoshi and your managers will meet us there.” Zhang Jing changes gears all at once, the annoyance gone from her face.

“Shouldn’t we wait. Even Cheng Guo isn’t back yet.” Yibo questions, not wanting to move from where Xiao Zhan had left him in case they lost track of each other. His cellphone didn’t have signal, so it wasn’t like he could leave a message.

“We’ll just be going down to the car later in any case. I’ll send a message. They will meet us there.” Then, without giving Wang Yibo any real choice, she stepped out into the corridor and looked back at him expectantly. “Come on, I’ll be safer at the car anyway. The parking garage has all sorts of special access. No vampires that are unauthorised would have a way to get in there.”

Yibo very reluctantly gave in to the coaxing, pocketing his phone for now as he followed Zhang Jing to the elevator.

When Xiao Zhan arrived he seemed to be interrupting a heated discussion between their managers and the production staff head. The room fell instantly silent at his appearance. 

“Xiao Zhan, what are you doing here?” His manager asked, confused and obviously unsettled by his sudden presence.

“Didn’t you ask to see me,” Xiao Zhan asked, surprised, “about what happened?” 

“What, about the attack and your newest love token by your vampire fan?” His manager now sounded mildly incredulous and wholly taken aback. The happy camp producer looked uncomfortable at their exchange. 

“What love token?” Xiao Zhan asked, ignoring her reaction in favour of morbid curiosity, “No one’s told us anything.”

“The authorities are still looking into it, but it seems your stalker was trying to leave a note and somehow ended up attacking your make-up artist when she went to prepare? I don’t know any more than that, and I did not think you would know anything either seeing as you were on stage the whole time. So, I definitely did not call you here.” His manager delivers this speech succinctly and efficiently, looking from Xiao Zhan to Yibo’s manager.

Yibo’s manager was frowning now, she had her phone in her hand, and looked up from her screen to stare at Xiao Zhan, then the space behind him. 

“But then why did Zhang Jing ask me to be here?” Xiao Zhan asked slowly, mulling over his manager’s words with a growing sense of unease beginning to bloom under his skin. To be fair, he’d been anxious ever since the smell of blood first hit him earlier, but now a chill was spreading through him as a certain possibility slowly began to take form.

“I didn’t ask her to send you here,” his manager denied, causing the anxiety in Xiao Zhan’s gut to unfurl.

“Where did you say Yibo was?” Yibo’s manager asked at the same time, and Xiao Zhan’s eyes went from one to the other as their words caught up to him.

“I just left him with-” Xiao Zhan cut himself off, dread making his skin crawl and his lungs feel short of air. He exerted a show of speed to make it back to that conference room as quickly as possible. He’d left Yibo alone, unprotected without his bodyguard. Alone except for Zhang Jing at her own insistence. Why had he done that? He should never have let Yibo out of his sight! Urgency and fear fueled his race back to that out of the way conference room, and had him careening wildly around corners and skipping 3 and 4 stairs at a time.

The corridors contracted like rubber, warping like a fish eye lens view and it felt like both seconds and hours before Xiao Zhan was met by a room devoid of Yibo or Zhang Jing, with a very confused Cheng Guo standing alone in the doorway. Cheng Guo straightened to full alert as he spotted Xiao Zhan.

“Where’s Yibo? And Zhang Jing?” Xiao Zhan asked, his anxiety at Yibo’s absence drawing his voice tight, his eyes letting off a faint red glow.

“There was no one here when I got back. I tried calling but Yibo Laoshi isn’t answering.” Cheng Guo replied, eyes already roaming the room for clues to the missing parties’ whereabouts.

Xiao Zhan turned on his heel, and turned both ways, breathing deeply. Yibo’s perfume was very distinctive, and thankfully, very familiar to Xiao Zhan. He turned left and raced down the corridors to the staff elevators. “She’s probably taken him down to the car, there was no sign of a struggle, so she might have talked him into waiting there in preparation to leave. We need to find them and get him away from her.” Xiao Zhan said for Cheng Guo’s benefit. 

He jammed his thumb into the button, and the elevator opened so the clambered in, but immediately realized his mistake as the doors shut and the elevator started slowly descending.Yibo might be in very imminent danger and they were stuck in a lift that was going far too slow. “We should have taken the stairs!”

“What am I missing?” Cheng Guo asked, calm, professional.

“Zhang Jing showed up and said I was needed, so I left Yibo in her care. Turns out no one needed to see me, and they haven’t seen her all this while either. I was gone for all of 5 minutes. She couldn’t have gotten very far.” If he couldn’t make the elevator descend any faster, the least he could do was catch Cheng Guo up. His body wanted to move, and he was on edge, adrenaline coursing through him. Xiao Zhan had to concentrate on the sound of his own heartbeat to keep time, he had to slow his breathing to match. When they reached the parking garage he had to be centered, and prepared for trouble.

It wasn’t often that they used the underground parking of these big studio buildings. More often than not it was more expedient for a car to pick them up out front. But this area was completely out of access to the public, so there would have been no chance to crowd or mob them if the fans were so inclined. With the state of the media uproar around them, it had been deemed safer to arrive and leave unseen. 

Now this precaution worked against them as there had been no one to see or intercept Yibo as he was leaving. No one to assist him in getting away from a potentially deadly vampire. 

If, as it seemed, Zhang Jing had been the one leaving those notes, Xiao Zhan could only boggle that she’d picked just the right method of delivery for them. She’d very effectively convinced them his stalker vampire was an outsider by dropping those letters in fanmail and flowers on set. Those things could be from any number of people, as Xiao Zhan’s schedule was still widely leaked and mostly poorly guarded back then. Those hadn’t been access restricted areas where a vampire with specifically granted access would have been noticed, so of course they would assume an outside threat. Which made it all the more odd that she’d try to leave a note here and now, when any vampire access to backstage was heavily restricted. Except for this slip up they would never have suspected someone he worked with on a daily basis. Now things had escalated to the point of no return. It wasn’t the elevator that made it feel like the ground had dropped out from under his feet.

As the elevator slowed Xiao Zhan’s sharp ears could already parse out sound from outside the elevator. Zhang Jing’s voice echoed in the close space of the concrete parking garage below.

“It’s fine that he wanted to play around with you, but he has his duty to us, his clan, and you have no place in that! But day after day he’s debasing himself to you!” Those words said in that familiar voice were nothing short of disgusting. Xiao Zhan could hear the edge of madness to the diatribe Zhang Jing was spouting. “You’re just a meal. I’m doing this for my clan. They’ll thank me.” 

Fear gripped Xiao Zhan at this proclamation and he had no idea what must be happening, but he only needed a few moments more. Hopefully Yibo would be smart, keep her talking but not aggravate her any further. She was like a wild animal at this point, highly susceptible to attack at even the slightest provocation, her ruse long discarded now that they were alone.

“Have you lost your mind? Get out of my way!” Yibo, of course, did the exact opposite of playing for time, it sounded more like he was trying to push her bodily out of the way if the grunt of effort he made was any indication. “What are you doing? Get off of me!” The muffled reply caused Xiao Zhan’s pulse to spike, his muscles to tense in readiness, fear to churn in his gut.

As soon as the elevator doors start to open Xiao Zhan fit his fingers into the gap and pried the doors the rest of the way open, shouldering his way out of the elevator and zeroing in on the muffled sounds of a struggle. Between one heartbeat and the next the all too familiar scent of spilled blood perfused the air. And then Yibo was screaming.

They must have made it all the way to the car. Yibo must have resisted getting in without Xiao Zhan, Zhang Jing must have heard the elevator arriving and decided to take her chance. All of these thoughts and realisations meant nothing as Xiao Zhan ripped open the door off the rental SUV, then tore Zhang Jing off a struggling and bleeding Yibo.

Xiao Zhan fangs were bared, his hands crushing into her flesh. He wasted precious minutes wrestling the crazed Zhang Jing off of Yibo, and dragging her entirely out of the vehicle before slamming her head into the concrete floor. His fangs were bared and he was just itching for a fight, but he couldn’t spare a morsel of attention for the screeching and flailing vampire because Yibo was choking and bleeding in the car behind him and Xiao Zhan needed to get to him.

Xiao Zhan let Cheng Guo step in and get a hold of Zhang Jing, then scrambled over the seat into the car beside Yibo. 

The first thing Xiao Zhan saw was the bleeding wound on Yibo’s neck, how his eyes were twitching from side to side as he tried to focus on Xiao Zhan’s, his gurgled, “Ge- Zhan-ge…” Yibo’s hand pressed uselessly pressed to the torn flesh of his throat, the unhealthy syncope of Yibo’s flailing heartbeat nightmarish in his ears. 

Xiao Zhan had only heard the sound of someone die due to blood loss one time, and it sounded exactly like this. Cold dread and disbelief gripped his throat and cramped his stomach. His eyes washed the car in a dull red glow that made everything seem even more nightmarish.

“Yibo, bao bao, Yibo,” he said his name, over and over, and Yibo’s eyes fluttered, unable to stay open as his breaths rasped and his legs jerked. “No, Yibo, don’t close your eyes. Don’t-”

He had to close the wound! But no amount of saliva could stitch _that_ back together. Xiao Zhan felt his stomach drop further into the floor realising he’d probably cause the majority of this damage himself when he’d torn Zhang Jing off of Yibo.

Xiao Zhan was just wondering if they had enough time to call for paramedics, because surely they were still in the building, when Yibo’s heart stuttered. Xiao Zhan felt his heart stutter along with his, denials spilling from his mouth.

“No! Yibo, stay with me!” Yibo’s face looked white with blood loss, his eyelids slipping lower and lower as if they were too heavy for him to keep open. He hadn’t spoken any more words since his initial call of Xiao Zhan’s name. Xiao Zhan reached out to touch Yibo’s face, to coax him awake. “Open your eyes, bao bao. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” 

He was out of options, what other choice did he have? Xiao Zhan’s mind spun even as he came face to face with the realisation that there was only one option open for him. This is not what he had wanted for them, not what he had wanted for Yibo. No one would thank him for what he was about to do. 

“Yibo, there’s no time. This is all I can do for you.” Yibo’s heart stuttered through another arrhythmia, a hiccoughing false start. The precursor to complete cardiac arrest. “Yibo, don’t- here!” 

So he did what he had to do, even as his heart sank with it. He tore at his wrist with his fangs. Feeding him from his wrist was inefficient but it was his only option in the space and under these circumstances. He pushed his bleeding arm against Yibo’s mouth. 

“Wang Yibo, you have to drink this. You have to swallow for me. Yibo, baby, please. This is all I can do for you. You have to, please.”

Yibo’s eyes fluttered, and Xiao Zhan’s blood spilled messily over his chin, mingling with the blood at his neck that had seeped into his clothes. Xiao Zhan saw his throat bob, but it wasn’t until he felt Yibo’s lips press harder against him that he accepted that Yibo was taking his offered blood. His begging fell away, and instead he began a litany of praise and encouragement. Yibo brought a shaky hand up to pull his wrist closer to his face. Xiao Zhan felt like Yibo was sucking his soul out of him at the force with which his blood was leaving his body. That Yibo was showing any sort of reaction was promising, gave him hope that his blood was knitting him up from the inside out and fixing what Zhang Jing had broken.

Xiao Zhan left it to the very last moment before he was forced to pull his arm away. He’d given Yibo as much as blood as he could without passing out himself. His own heart was struggling with his sudden hypovolaemia because even though his body could take a hit it was slow to compensate for the blood loss. He was feeling weird and shock-y.

It was for this reason that he was taken completely by surprise when Yibo’s heart, which had struggled valiantly throughout the whole ordeal, just stopped. 

That steady beat that filled up the space around Yibo, at once reassuring and immediately identifiable as Wang Yibo. That steady beat that has Xiao Zhan turning his head in greeting, that he’s fallen asleep to, who’s sound he’d memorised and drowned in and _tasted_.

Xiao Zhan unsticks his tongue from his palette, mouth dry, hand clamping over Yibo’s shoulder even as the gash on his other wrist finishes closing up. There was no space in the vacuum of his heart for anything but denial.

“Yibo?” 

The word is ripped from a throat parched, sounding small and feeble and seconds pass and feel like hours.

Xiao Zhan’s fingers find their way to Yibo’s neck, where his skin is whole and smooth beneath his fingertips. There is a ringing in his ears, but still no heartbeat, no pulse where he presses fingers against cool, still skin. No chest rising.

Xiao Zhan didn’t understand what was happening.

Yibo had swallowed, he’d drank so much pure, distilled vampire blood from Xiao Zhan. How could nothing happen? How could it not be enough?

When had Yibo’s hand fallen away from where it had clung to Xiao Zhan’s wrist and pulled it closer? 

Xiao Zhan’s hands trembled now even as his thoughts spiralled.

Sounds from outside the car finally filtered in as they got louder, intruding on Xiao Zhan’s thoughts. His instincts force him to be aware of his surroundings once again despite his rising panic and looming mental break.

Even as Xiao Zhan turned to look behind him into the parking garage, movement at the edge of his vision had him turning just in time for Yibo to heave a great cough, drag a raw breath into his tortured lungs, his heart to start up a rapid arrhythmic gallop.

All Xiao Zhan could do was let out a surprised, hysterical half laugh and lunge forward to drag Yibo up against him in a death grip of a hug. ‘Relief’ did not begin to describe the feelings that Yibo’s signs of life had just evoked in him.

“Nnnngg!” The sound was punched out of Yibo at the force of the hug and Xiao Zhan could do nothing to loosen his hold, too relieved and grateful that Yibo wasn’t gone. “Ge?”

Yibo was slurring, and sounded confused. He was too weak to push Xiao Zhan off, but Xiao Zhan got the message anyway and loosen his grip. His hands were still trembling from the adrenaline and blood loss even as he moved them over Yibo’s neck and face, feeling his pulse, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

Yibo was blinking, eyes half open, mouth soft and slack. A smear of blood made his lips look red, there was blood in his teeth. His own blood had spattered his face like freckles which had dried now to dark flakes. He looked terrible. Xiao Zhan could only stare at how beautiful he was.

Between one sleepy blink and the next, Yibo was asleep, but his heart beat steadily and Xiao Zhan wasn’t scared this time that those eyes would never open again.

What followed immediately after that, as far as the arrival of the authorities, their management, press or anything else, Xiao Zhan didn’t know and didn’t care. Cheng Guo had kept a hold on Zhang Jing and she had been handed over to the local clan authorities. With the threat now averted, Xiao Zhan asked that they be taken to Yibo’s Changsha apartment. Yibo needed somewhere to rest, somewhere to weather the rest of the changes that would be happening, it was a bonus that it could be somewhere safe and familiar. Cheng Guo ended up travelling with them, leading Xiao Zhan where he needed to go, opening the door with the keys they’d been given by Yibo’s ashen manager, closing it behind them as Xiao Zhan once he was inside. 

He carried Yibo to the bed, laid him down to start stripping off his bloody clothes and his shoes. He knew his way around from the last time he was here, the cupboards were mostly bare, so he dug around the suitcase that had rested at the foot of the bed to find Yibo some soft sleep clothes. Then he proceeded with the careful task of wiping off what was left of Yibo’s stage make-up and sponged his skin clean of dried blood.

When Yibo was as comfortable as possible, Xiao Zhan finally looked up, surfacing to take in his surroundings. It seemed Cheng Guo was the only one here right now. He wondered idly where their managers had gone to.

As if guessing his thoughts Cheng Guo cleared his throat before making a quick status report.

“Zhang Jing is in clan custody while the authorities investigate. Your managers were asked to answer some questions, and they’re also letting your agencies know what happened. Yibo’s parents too, I’m sure. I’ve reported back to our clan as well. You were occupied.” 

Xiao Zhan nodded his understanding even as he let the words slowly sink in.

He’d really just turned Yibo, the Wang Yibo, there were bound to be consequences and repercussions, and not only those associated with their work or their fame. Yibo’s parents were just finding out their son had been attacked and made into a vampire to save his life. Xiao Zhan’s own parents had just found out their son had been targeted by one of their clan members, and saved his co-worker by making him a part of the clan. He’d made an unsanctioned conversion, for which he would have to answer to the authorities and his clan. At most he would end up with a fine due to the circumstances… Xiao Zhan’s head spun a bit, but that might be the blood loss.

The next hour passed by in a blur. Yibo fluttered in and out of consciousness, his heart still racing, his body sometimes seizing. Muscle pains and cramping were a common occurrence when one’s body was undergoing a major change of form and function, and Yibo would be no exception. 

Xiao Zhan helped him to the bathroom, helped him shower and get clean even as Yibo stumbled around half catatonic, like he was blind drunk.

Yibo was back in bed by the time Cheng Guo returned from retrieving some synth blood and a cooler of whole-blood bags for Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan could only bear to drain one synth blood pack before setting the rest aside for Yibo, floating the whole blood in some warm water to make it slightly more palatable.

And then he pulled a chair from the room’s desk over to the bed and sank down into it. He was so tired. He wanted to lay down next to Yibo, pull him closer, press his ear against his chest and just feel his heartbeat against his cheek. 

Instead he sat beside the bed, disbelieving the chain of events that had gotten him here. Instead he re-lived that moment he left Yibo alone. That moment he pulled Zhang Jing off of Yibo, effectively sealing his fate by tearing his neck open. He heard again Yibo’s anguished scream.

A vampire could make their bite pleasurable, a lure and appeasement to their prey.

A vampire could also make their bite the most unpleasant, the most painful thing.

Zhang Jing had been cruel and sadistic and vindictive.

And it was all Xiao Zhan’s fault.

From the very first note he had received Xiao Zhan had known something like this could happen. If it was just against him, he could deal with it. But the threat had never been to him so much as to the humans around him. He should have realised that getting close to Yibo was the wrong thing to do. It was the wrong time. He should have kept his distance until the drama was wrapped and aired and people had moved on. Until there were less eyes on them.

Knowing now that it was Zhang Jing had been the one against him all along, he realised just how exposed he’d left Yibo. He’d disappeared to Yibo’s rooms, he’d fed from him while filming and during this promotional tour. If anyone had first hand proof that they were together it would have been Zhang Jing. And as it turned out she was the last person Xiao Zhan had wanted to have that information.

Arranging for Cheng Guo to keep an eye on Yibo had not been enough. Xiao Zhan remembered their recent half argument, half conversation about Xiao Zhan distancing himself from Yibo, he remembered the look in Yibo’s eyes even before that when he said that being scared was no way to live in this business. But Xiao Zhan should have known better. He should have talked to Yibo and made things clearer to him, asked him to wait if he was serious about trying something.

Maybe then Yibo would be here as he was now, fundamentally changed after very nearly losing his life.

He clenches his hands in his lap and doesn’t touch any more of the blood Cheng Guo had brought. The hurt of his hunger is nothing, his hurt running a little deeper and a little more guilt flavoured.

The unexpected sound of a phone ringing cut into his morose thoughts, and Xiao Zhan had to take a minute to remember where he’d put his phone, only to realise it was Yibo’s ringtone, coming from the pile of his bloody and discarded clothes that Xiao Zhan had thrown haphazardly into a corner on the floor.

It must be Yibo’s team, his manager, maybe they’d already contacted his parents?

Xiao Zhan dug out the phone and pressed it to his ear, “Hello?”

“Xiao-laoshi,” Yibo’s manager sounded like she’d been crying, or at the very least she sounded shaken. “Your manager is bringing us over to you. How is he?”

“Yibo’s been in and out of consciousness, but he should be waking up soon,” Xiao Zhan was extrapolating from second hand information. Yibo showed no signs that he was indeed about to wake up any time soon. “You’re welcome to be here when he wakes up.”

It wasn’t long before Cheng Guo led their respective managers into the hotel room. He closed the door behind them, returning to his post in the corridor outside to keep any unwanted guests away.

Both women’s eyes turn from Xiao Zhan to peer through the open bedroom doorway where Yibo was laying under the covers on the bed.

“We’ve just come from the police station. They’ve been piecing together what happened at the studio. We thought it best to arrange that you speak with them tomorrow morning, as soon as you can to give your account of things. Cheng Guo answered some questions before though at least, when he handed Zhang Jing over to the authorities.”

“Has she been questioned? Have they said what they plan to do with her?” Xiao Zhan asked, voice flat and hollow even as he hoped that the full extent of clan law fell upon Zhang Jing. Murder of any kind was illegal in all regards, but this was a premeditated hate-crime. It was by luck and by chance that she hadn’t succeeded in her attempted murder. Additionally, this would garner a lot of bad press for vampires through-out the country. The consequences of her actions were far reaching and a blight to the foundation of any goodwill between vampires and non-vampires that had slowly been building.

Also, Xiao Zhan just simply wanted to end her for what she had done. He wasn’t allowing himself to fully think about how she had betrayed them, lurked right beside him, he wouldn’t be able to contain his anger if he did.

“She started spouting some really disgusting rhetoric about the vampires being the superior race, about keeping bloodlines pure. About how it was your duty to the clan to lead them into the future and not focus on meaningless flings-” She cut herself off and Xiao Zhan knew his face must be doing something in reaction to the vile words Zhang Jing had been spouting. Even second hand, they were enough to ignite feelings of helpless rage in Xiao Zhan. How petty and stupid did Zhang Jing have to be, how meaningless the reason behind Yibo being hurt so badly? 

His manager sighed, changing tracks, “Look, I really don’t care to repeat her twisted logic. I just can’t believe she’s been capable of these things while working with us on a daily basis.” 

Yibo’s manager had been silent and looked drawn and jumpy. Her phone chirped and she startled, making both Xiao Zhan and his manager startle in turn and look at her questioningly. Her eyes turned back to look at Yibo before determinedly meeting Xiao Zhan’s.

“So he’s like you now?” She asked softly, refusing to look away. “His parents are being flown here right now. They’ll want to see their son.” Her gaze was bordering on accusatory, and it twisted an extra dimension into the guilt Xiao Zhan was already feeling.

“Of course! He should really be waking up soon.” Xiao Zhan resisted the urge to fidget, to reassure. What reassurances could he give? “The change took, it was successful, it saved his life. He will still be himself.” It was the best he could do to reassure her. “I’ll deal with the formalities with the authorities and my clan. I’ll help him out, he’s my blood now, after all.”

And like it was some sort of magic spell, it was just then that Wang Yibo stirred, throwing a hand over his face and groaning as he pushed up to half sitting before jack-knifing up to his feet to stare at the three of them with red glowing eyes.

“Easy, Yibo,” Xiao Zhan turned, took a step closer but stopped as Yibo winced, eyes suddenly squinting and bringing his hands up around his ears.

“Urgh, so loud,” he rasped out, his head turned away from the light fixture glowing on the ceiling, everything too bright for him as well.

“Yibo, it’s okay,” Xiao Zhan said quieter, gesturing to the light dimmer, his manager quickly going over to dim the lights a bit. “Your senses are just sharper than before. You’ll get used to it, you’ll be able to control it a bit better soon.”

“Wang Yibo,” Yibo’s manager edged around Xiao Zhan and into the bedroom as she went to stand in front of Yibo, worry evident on her face.

Yibo full-body jerked away from her.

“Get away!” He was on the other side of the room without the non-vampires in the room being able to see the movement happen in real time.

Oh, Yibo was already this fast, and he hadn’t even fed yet, Xiao Zhan thought, breathless.

But Yibo was gritting his teeth, fangs unsheathed and bared, back pushing up against the wall.

“Don’t come closer. I don’t want to hurt you, jie.” He rasped out, muscles tensed, head turned away in shame.

“I think we need to do this some other time,” Xiao Zhan interjected, moving to put himself firmly between Yibo and the two women in the room. “I’ll see to Yibo. Would you two come back in the morning?” In truth it was nearly morning already, “or when his parents arrive?”

“Yibo?-” His manager started, looking more shaken and more worried than before.

“Please go, Jie.” 

And so they did.

“We can handle everything later. Just direct anyone with clan business to me as well,” Xiao Zhan reassured his manager before closing the door on her. Everything could wait till morning, for now he needed to look after Yibo. He turned, stepped into Yibo’s space, and Yibo untensed and moved into his arms like a puppet with its strings cut. Even that small gesture of trust was devastating.

“Zhan-ge, what’s happening to me?” Yibo sounded scared, for only the second time Xiao Zhan had ever heard.

An ache radiated from the centre of Xiao Zhan’s chest at the sound, and Xiao Zhan recognises it as Yibo’s emotion resonating in his own chest. This would be another new sense they had to master.

Xiao Zhan reached a hand up to rest against Yibo’s head where his face was hidden in the crook of Xiao Zhan’s neck.

“What do you remember?” Xiao Zhan asks, reluctant but determined to get this part out of the way. Yibo shuddered as he remembered. He puts the pieces together.

“Jing-jie tried to kill me. Then you came and saved me.” His breath is moist in the small space between them. 

The silence that surrounded them was filled with so many things they both could be saying, while they tried to choose the right things to say.

“She tricked us, she had us all fooled.” Xiao Zhan said into the silence, “I left you alone with her. I should never have left you alone. It turns out my manager hadn’t called me after all, but by the time I figured it out you were already gone.” Xiao Zhan hugged Yibo closer, that ache in his chest intensifying.

“She said we should wait in the car. She said you would meet us there. I didn’t even really question her.” Yibo sounded lost and tired, resigned to his own mistakes.

“You had no way of knowing. It was probably safer not to have provoked her. By the time we figured it out we’d already wasted whatever time you’d made for us. She must have heard us arrive and decided to take her chance seeing as she’d already exposed herself. There’s nothing you could have done.” 

It hurt to admit, especially because he didn’t absolve himself of any of the blame. Yibo had been the victim. Xiao Zhan had been the one to leave him unprotected. 

“I’m so sorry, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan continued, “If we had been more careful she might not have hurt you.”Xiao Zhan absently runs his fingers through Yibo’s hair, he’s not sure whether it’s to comfort Yibo or himself more, but he feels some tension leave Yibo’s body where it rests against his. “If I had been more careful I might have gotten her off you without you nearly bleeding out because I ripped her off before she let go. That was on me, and I’m sorry.”

They fell into silence again, both lost in thought for a bit.

“Does it even matter who we blame for this. She did this, didn’t she.” Yibo asked into the quiet. Xiao Zhan didn’t have an answer for him. He does lead him to sit down after a while though instead. Xiao Zhan could almost hear the gears in Yibo’s head turning, and waited to hear what he would say next.

“It hurt,” Yibo lets out a breath, swallows, starts over, “when she bit me. It really hurt. It wasn’t like- it wasn’t like before, with you. It didn’t feel good.”

“No, I can’t imagine it did.” They swayed a little where they stood, and Xiao Zhan waited, letting Yibo choose his words, voice his thoughts. “You were a willing participant when I fed from you. That usually makes the experience automatically better.”

A tense, sharp hunger blooms suddenly in the pit of Xiao Zhan’s stomach. Again, he instantly recognises the feeling as not his own. Yibo’s hunger is fierce and new, not the dispersed ache Xiao Zhan’s hunger tends to be.

“I’d never thought of it before, until after we met. About being bitten, I mean.” Yibo tenses, pulls carefully back, looking up to meet Xiao Zhan’s eyes with his own glowing ones.

His fangs are bared again, and it makes Xiao Zhan’s mouth feel dry, it makes his heart beat faster. He hums in response, waiting for Yibo to continue.

“I don’t know what made me ask you to bite me that first time, I must have been crazy, but then it felt so good, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” Yibo speaks remarkably clearly for someone new to navigating a mouth full of sharp fang. “I guess I thought it could only feel good. Now I know better.” It seemed he had reached the crux of the issue because he made sure to keep Xiao Zhan’s eyes for his next words. “I’m going to have to drink blood now, to stay alive, right? I-” He hesitated, suddenly uncertain, “I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t know how to make it feel good, ge.” 

The unspoken implication is that he might hurt someone too, like he had been hurt, and how much he didn’t want that.

“There are blood bags. Then you don’t have to bite anyone. I have some for you, I just need to heat them up again,” Xiao Zhan is very pleased to have had this one thing ready, at least. This was one less thing that Yibo had to deal with tonight. On the one hand he can vividly remember every good memory Yibo could have of being bitten. On the other hand the last bite he’d received had not been a good one. He can make this one thing easier, at least. They had time to work up to actual live donors.

Yibo seemed to think otherwise.

“You’ve never looked like you ever enjoyed those blood bags, ge.” Yibo protests. “Besides, why leave to the future what I can get done today? 

“You’d rather feed off someone?” Xiao Zhan asks, “I could make arrangements.” He offers, and Yibo narrows his eyes.

“Not someone,” Yibo enunciates, “ If I have to bite someone, I want to bite you. And I want to make it feel good.” 

Yibo goes straight for the jugular, it seemed and Xiao Zhan’s mouth waters at the mental image. Xiao Zhan lets out a gust of breath, and steps forward into Yibo’s space.

“That would be very unconventional but... we can do that.” With Yibo, he feels, it would be better to let him try than to question him further.

“Is it really so unconventional. You agreed pretty fast,” Yibo asks dubiously.

“I take it you’d like to try now? You must be starving.” Xiao Zhan ignores his question in favour of shifting closer on the bed, feeling oddly anticipatory for a predator about to bare his neck to another predator.

Yibo touched his tongue to a fang lightly, eyes dropping curiously to Xioa Zhan’s neck. “If I knew you were this easy, ge…” which earned him a retaliatory swat.

“I’ve created a monster. I feel the need to apologise to your parents.” Xiao Zhan teases, a little close to the nose, but he softens it by giving Yibo a fond smile and pushing his shirt aside.

“There are many things you could to apologise to my parents for, considering the things we’ve done to each other, but this is not one of them.” Yibo’s eyes followed the movement of Xiao Zhan’s hands, and at his words Xiao Zhan had to actively concentrate on not blushing from his chest to his ears.

“Wang Yibo! This is a serious matter. Also, it’s a bit of a contentious point at the moment too. Maybe we should shelve talks about parents until they show up at the door, hm?” Otherwise there’s no way that Xioa Zhan would be able to untense long enough to let Yibo bite him right now, let alone enjoy it!

“You brought it up!” Yibo retorted, his eyes met Xiao Zhan’s, the red glow dimmer now, more controlled, his eyes looking more like they usually do. He had a determined frown as he out-stubborn-ed a difficult situation, it was a look that was familiar and well loved.

“I’m sorry you were hurt,” Xiao Zhan said finally, knocking a knee against Yibo’s, needing the contact. “I’m sorry that it’s making you anxious about this.”

“You never hurt me, not even a little, not once,” Yibo says in reply, “I don’t want to hurt you, either, so tell me how to make it feel good for you. How do I take the pain away.”

“Uh, it’s a combination of things, actually. I don’t think you’ll be able to master all of them all at once, so I’ll make it simple.”

“Okay,” Yibo nodded, listening, learning. “But tell me about them, even if I can’t do it yet.”

“Sure, it’s a little bit of pheromones to calm your donor, eye contact to distract them. You have a natural anaesthetic in your saliva now, so licking the skin first before you bite should numb any pain and actually enhances sensitivity to pleasurable sensation.” He felt Yibo take interest in that one, “Generally your intention also dictates the experience. That’s how you can make it a very specific feeling that comes through.”

“So you were thinking naughty thoughts the first time you bit me?” Yibo shoots back instantly. If nothing else, he is still himself, despite the circumstances.

“Who wouldn’t when Wang Yibo is begging them to bite him, just a little, please gege,” Xiao Zhan teases and begins to laugh, but finds himself suddenly kissing a lapful of Yibo.

“I can do that,” Yibo growls, pushing Xiao Zhan back onto the bed, the force of his surprise enough that his body bends to Yibo’s will and new found strength. Xiao Zhan filed away that reaction to those specific teasing words for more contemplation at a later time, but right now he needed to be running his tongue over Yibo’s fangs, and in fact that was exactly what he licked into Yibo’s mouth to do.

“Tsst, careful, ge,” Yibo reeled back, but Xiao Zhan followed, sitting and flipping their positions so he could push his weight down on Yibo.

“Sensitive? I forgot that fangs are super sensitive the first time they cut out.”

Then despite his words and Yibo’s squirming he licked his way back into Yibo’s mouth to curl his tongue around a sharp tooth, sucking delicately at it as best he could. Yibo keened at the sensation, so Xiao Zhan gave his other fang similar treatment, hips holding Yibo down where he tried to buck up under him in response.

The best thing about having an unfiltered mental connection that had just taken root was that everything Yibo was feeling right now was amplified and reinforced by Xiao Zhan’s equal and eager arousal. He felt slightly drunk on it all as they just spent the next few minutes exploring each other's mouths with lips and teeth and tongues.

The worst thing about having an unfiltered mental connection, raw and newly formed and directly hardwired into his own mind was the whiplash Xiao Zhan experienced when Yibo misjudged the sharpness of his new teeth and draw blood and his hunger switched from arousal to pure hunger and then he froze them both in a moment of instant panic and fear.

The hunger he’d been expecting, the fear sunk his heart. It hadn’t even been a full day since Yibo had been attacked. It was only natural he would react this way.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay, Yibo.” 

The hunger and fear did not abate, and instead spiralled higher and tighter. Xiao Zhan pulled away to give Yibo some space, turning in the cradle of Yibo’s legs to sit beside him as Yibo brought his wrists up to hide his eyes, his mouth open and gasing. Xiao Zhan made a conscious effort to project a little bit of cool calmness into their connection, just enough to help, not enough to completely override Yibo’s own thoughts and feelings, which could accidentally happen, another unfortunate result of the newness of their bond.

“How can I help? What can I do?” Xiao Zhan asked Yibo quietly, waiting out the panic attack.

“It’s just- It’s a lot.” Yibo admitted after a long moment of trying to gather his thoughts.

“It would be a lot easier to think if you weren’t hungry right now. Maybe I should get the blood bags after all?”

“Yeah,” Yibo sighed, “maybe that would be better.”

Maybe the artificial taste of synth blood would be better, and less triggering to Yibo. Xiao Zhan stood to fetch the synth blood. The warmed blood bags were surely cold again by now. Well, no matter. He could warm them a final time if Yibo wanted.

“I’m sorry for ruining the mood.” Yibo was still sprawled loose limbed across the bed, but he’d lowered his arms from his face to watch Xiao Zhan.

“You did no such thing. It’s not about the mood. None of that is more important than you being okay with what’s happening. But we do have to get you fed.” Xiao Zhan felt bad to bring that up, but the hunger Yibo was feeling was not going to go away until he had a decent feeding, and if left long enough he might not be able to control how he got his blood meal or who from. 

“It might take more time than we have for me to get comfortable with what’s happening, ge.”

“It’s not like there’s a time limit.” Xiao Zhan started, but Yibo was clearly getting agitated instead of being soothed by this line of reasoning.

“Just me starving, though, right? Don’t starved vampires attack people?”

“I won’t let it get that far. You hurt anyone. And I won’t let you starve.” Xiao Zhan retrieved the now warm blood from the water bath, patting it dry. “You can try the synth blood. It doesn’t really smell or taste the way fresh blood does, so it shouldn’t be too difficult - your body will recognise it as what you need. Think of it as smooth, salty tomato soup. Just without the tomatoes. I’ll put it in a mug, make it feel normal. You don’t even need to use your fangs.”

Yibo waited while Xiao Zhan readied his “meal” then reached forward to grasp the mug and take a quick sip, with the look of a man trying to get through something unpleasant. The way he pulled his face at the taste was not very encouraging.

“Our sexy biting was a much better idea. That just tastes nasty.”

“Hm, I guess it’s an acquired taste. Try some more? Take the edge off?”

Yibo scrunches his nose up and after another few tentative sips Xiao Zhan takes mercy on him, removing the mug from his hand and downing it, resolved.

“You’ll just have to take your time and ease into biting me then.”

“Somehow that doesn’t sound very fun or very sexy.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, maybe it’s better if we tackle this sooner rather than later.” Xiao Zhan nods at himself. “We have a few hours, we can take out time, you can work up to it. Overwrite the bad experience with a good one. Prove to yourself that you can make a bite feel good.”

“Anything that tastes better than that, ge.” Yibo pulls another face, but he doesn’t protest Xiao Zhan’s assessment. “I trust you, ge, I know you’ll look after me.”

They had been sprawled over the foot of the bed earlier, and now Xiao Zhan rearranged the pillows at the head of the bed. Yibo turns and moves forward on his hands and knees to slot himself between Xiao Zhan’s legs, dropping his head onto Xiao Zhan’s shoulder, but turning his head away from his neck.

“Turn around, lean against me with you back against my chest. We’ll avoid the neck for now.” Xiao Zhan admires how Yibo turns without knocking him with his knees or elbows. Graceful boy. Fondness bursts in his chest and Yibo gasps as if hit.

“Ge?”

“Ah, you’re only just realising now?” Xiao Zhan giggles, the heavy mood folding away a little. “Sorry, I should have mentioned it. As my fledgling we’re connected like this now. It’s an evolutionary thing, I guess, it’s why vampires form such tight community units. It’s one of our few closely guarded secrets, actually. You’ll learn to turn it down eventually.” He leaned his head against Yibo’s fluffy hair where he was laying back against Xiao Zhan’s left shoulder. Xiao Zhan could feel his heartbeat where they lay against each other, and Yibo could surely feel his as well. That and their connection were a good touch stone for the both of them right now.

“My freak out early, you felt that?” Yibo asked, and Xiao Zhan hummed his affirmative, “Sorry, that must not have been fun.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t fun for you either. I wouldn’t suppress your feelings, but I can try to project calm, safety, if you think it will help.”

“Hm, I don’t know. I’ll let you know if I think it’ll be necessary.” Yibo hums, thinking it over but also not wanting to gloss over or take the obvious short cut.

“Is it the taste of blood that had you freaking out earlier, or something else?” Xiao Zhan thinks to ask as they just sit there quietly.

“I don’t think it’s the taste,” Yibo says, his head tilting, mouth pursing in thought, “You definitely taste a lot better than the fake blood. I think it just it reminded me too much of the attack." Xiao Zhan can tell Yibo had wanted to word that differently, but he probably didn't want to bring up his attacker right then. "It just brought it up again. But now I’m ready for it. It won’t catch me by surprise again.”

“Okay. Whenever you’re ready. I’ll just be here.” Xiao Zhan breathes through that information and settles more comfortably against the headboard.He moved his arms to rest around Yibo, and Yibo took the opportunity to catch hold of his right hand. Yibo’s big hands dwarfed Xiao Zhan’s and he stared mesmerised as Yibo cradled his wrist in his right hand and pressed the tips of his fingers of his left against the lines of his palm, slowly following the shapes, running down his fingers to the tips.

Xiao Zhan had artists’ fingers. Yibo deeply appreciated them. 

“What is dance going to be like in this body, ge? Or skateboarding? I guess it shouldn’t stop me from being able to host or pose for endorsement ads or act, or is that up for negotiation all over again?”

“Yuehua would be fools to let you down at this point, but I really don’t know. Your manager seemed pretty worried about you, though. And no one has broken down the door here in an angry huff, so there’s hope for you yet. Also, I should probably have told you that your parents are flying in. I’m not sure, but they will probably arrive by morning.”

Yibo’s hold on his wrist tightened. Was he nervous about seeing his parents? Eager to see them. Scared to see them like this, scared he’d somehow end up hurting them.

“I’ll be here, if you need me. I’m sure they’re very worried about you. I should have said something earlier.”

“This is not how I expected to see them again. You’ll stay? To meet them?” Yibo asks, turning his head to look up at Xiao Zhan. This beautiful boy that had snagged his attention from their first meeting, this determined young man that had snuck his heart out from under him.

When had that happened?

“Yeah, yes, I will.”

Yibo nodded, and without any prelude whatsoever turned his head, pulled Xiao Zhan’s wrist to his mouth, and bit down.

Xiao Zhan jolted, a supernova of love and affection and wonder overwhelming him, and he couldn’t even tell which of them it belonged to. He couldn’t help but laugh and Yibo worried at his trapped skin even more in retaliation, causing Xiao Zhan to shudder under him. Not a flash of fear made itself known.

“You need to break the skin, you know, with your fangs. Those flat teeth aren’t gonna cut it,” The pun had in fact not been intended.

“Ge, you really like it don’t you? Being bitten like this.” Yibo asks, somewhat awed and gratified.

“It’s something I’m discovering about myself, yes.” As if it wasn’t obvious enough by now, Xiao Zhan thinks.

Yibo smiled wide at that, his fangs pushing out, radiating hunger and affection through to Xiao Zhan before pressing a kiss to his gnawed wrist.

Yibo very carefully and deliberately takes a bracing breath, and has a focused look on his face as he gives Xiao Zhan’s wrist a long lick. Anaesthetising saliva, let’s see if it worked.

Then without hesitating any further, Yibo pressed his sharpening fangs onto and into the thin skin of Xiao Zhan’s wrist.

Blood burst onto Yibo’s tongue, and this time Yibo let his hunger pull him along, he actively focused on anything but his fears or doubts. He thought of all the times he’d watched Xiao Zhan do exactly this to him. How he’d made Yibo feel like he was flying, drowning in sensation. He thought of sucking Xiao Zhan’s fingers into his mouth, to tongue around them. He thought of the time he bit Xiao Zhan, it had been his birthday, and he remembered the thrill he’d felt as a raw sound of pleasure was ripped from Xiao Zhan. He thought of all the other places he could bite, to get to this taste that was filling his senses and sating a hot, clawing need that had been gnawing at his insides. 

Xiao Zhan had joked that biting the femoral artery was sure to be a messy affair, the blood pressure was too high unless you knew what you were doing. He’d said his first few times had been like what shotgunning a beer keg must be like, or taking a drink from a firehose at full blast. And yet somehow he must have gotten good at it because Yibo remembered the thrill he’d felt at seeing Xiao Zhan’s fangs so close to some very sensitive flesh that one time he’d buried his head between Yibo’s thighs to bite him there. Yibo had pressed his thumb onto the thin sensitive skin until it felt like it would bruise later, when he’d been alone, trying to find his pulse there.

He felt a jolt of arousal at the thought, and Xiao Zhan tensed up behind him, thighs pressing tighter around him, his breath huffing out where he’d hidden his face behind Yibo’s neck, pressed into his shoulder. This wasn’t meant to be sexy, and it hadn’t really started that way, but sexy was better than being scared, so Yibo went with it.

“Yibo, Yibo, not too much, not too hard. Yibo, drink slower,” Xiao Zhan had his free hand in Yibo’s hair, even as he hunched over him, fist tightening and loosening as he started in a litany of instructions. So Yibo stopped sucking, stopped applying any sort of pull with his lips and mouth and tongue, just let his mouth sit on Xiao Zhan’s arm, fangs in flesh so the wound remained open, and pressed his tongue gently to the area where the blood had slowed from a veritable flood to a trickle.

His hunger from earlier was almost entirely gone, and now he had the chance to just explore the taste of Xiao Zhan. He kept his mouth soft, kept his fangs still, and flicked his tongue up against the skin, against the wound. He felt Xiao Zhan shudder behind him, heard him hiss in a breath as if pain, felt his hand tug sharply at his hair. Heard him release that breath again as a sigh. 

So Yibo did it again. As he’d predicted, Xiao Zhan jerked at the motion, and this time Yibo felt him roll his hips to press against Yibo’s lower back. It hadn’t been his plan, but he wasn’t unhappy with the outcome. Reaching back the hand that wasn’t holding Xiao Zhan’s wrist, he licked the wound again, and urged Xiao Zhan’s hip into the next grinding roll. Could he come like this? From the feel of Yibo licking around where his fangs pierced him? The thought made arousal bloom, hot and instant, in his gut and groin. He could certainly try! Xiao Zhan rolled his hips harder at the next pass of his tongue.

Yibo tried applying just a little suction with the next pass of his tongue, to excellent results, then relaxed his mouth again, and licked and licked and sucked and licked. Xiao Zhan was very quickly falling to pieces where he was pressed up against him, rutting against his lower back, and Yibo wanted to growl out his satisfaction at it all.

Afterwards, after Xiao Zhan had shuddered his way through a surprise orgasm and Yibo had licked the wound closed and allowed Xiao Zhan to melt out onto the bedspread they’d smiled at each other, soft and open, sharing the moment between them.

Xiao Zhan sent a pointed look at his groin, but Yibo shook his head no, that wasn’t necessary, later. Xiao Zhan hummed in reply, whatever Yibo needed. Instead Xiao Zhan raised his wrist before his eyes and gave it a bemused look.

“How have I never done that before?” Xiao Zhan mumbled.

“Hm, that wasn’t so bad at all. Definitely much better than the fake stuff.” Yibo lay down next to him and Xiao Zhan rolled over to place his head on Yibo’s chest, ear pressed up against his beating heart.

“I wouldn’t mind being your source of sustenance for a while. Until you get used to the government approved blood bags and synth blood. Live donors are an option, if you’re up for it, too.”

“Let’s start small, ge, besides, why would I want to bite anyone else but you?”

All he received for that was a swat from Xiao Zhan before his arm circled Yibo’s torso in a hug.

“I’m glad that went well, for both of us. You should be fine for seeing your parents now. We’ll also have to prepare something to tell the media. What do you think?”

“We were just dodging allegations that we were secretly dating. I guess with everything that happened we can just tell everyone now, right? Seriously, what will have them more shocked, that I was attacked by a crazy vampire extremist, that I’m a vampire too now, or that we’re dating?”

“Ah, to go from secretly almost dating to countless decades of vampiric commitment. There’s no middle ground with you, huh?” Xiao Zhan smiled a put upon sign into his chest, breath warm even through his t-shirt.

“How do you mean almost? Ghosting aside, this _was_ getting serious, wasn’t it?” Yibo knocked his shin with his foot in retaliation to go with his words.

“I didn’t know if we were allowed to get serious.” Xiao Zhan makes a waving gesture with his hand to encompass everything that might go into ‘being allowed’, “But I guess that’s all out of our hands, or those obstacles don’t matter. That reminds me, as my fledgling you’ll joining my clan. I need to get you an ID bracelet. There’ll be forms to fill in.”

“What, like I’m being born all over again? That all sounds very boring. I didn’t know vampires had to do such boring things.”

“Hm, yeah. There’s a registry, there are restrictions. I’ve never really planned on petitioning to create a fledgling, my mother will be shocked.”

“But she’ll approve, right? She’ll like me?”

“Oh, no question, she’ll love you.”

“So should I introduce you as my sire or my boyfriend to my parents?” Yibo asked teasingly, running a hand up the knobs of Xiao Zhan’s spine, big hand spanning a broad path up his back in slow strokes.

“Call me your sire, and I’ll refer to you as Bo-ge for the remainder of the night” Yibo just about squawks at the absurdity of that, “and no amount of you begging will stop me.” Xiao Zhan warned.

“I was just joking!” Yibo wails and Xiao Zhan has to laugh, feeling oddly light even as he knows it won’t last long.

Just like that it was settled, and they were peaceful, and they left the immediate future to later to deal with, and they’d have the long reaching future to figure it all out.

“I’ll leave tomorrow to tomorrow then. Ge, I’m about to pass out. Give me a kiss goodnight.” Yibo demanded, as was his wont and his way, and an entire reason why he was so very loved.

And so Xiao Zhan did, because when had he ever been able to refuse Wang Yibo.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took so long to post because I really wanted to make meaningful revisions to end this off the way it deserved. Thank you so much to everybody who was part of the process, who read and gave me feedback. Thank you so much to Bo for the beta and feedback on this chapter. You really helped me flesh things out and make this more coherent. I've been staring at this chapter for so long that even though I probably should have read it again after finishing all the revisions, I really couldn't do it. I hope that it still reads well.
> 
> The original prompt was for new vampire WYB to bite his pureblood vampire Zhan-ge (paraphrased). I hope that I filled this prompt in a way that was ultimately satisfying. I just had a need to write some context to the situation! I feel like this universe could do with so much more exploring, and I hope it was at least mostly cohesive. As always, any questions or comments are welcome. Help me write a better story next time by pointing out what worked and what could use some work. Thank you for reaching the end. I really hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> All comments are welcome
> 
> You can find me on twt @andreamadspade


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